Farming and the Sustainable Development Goals
The year 2030 is not far away, and the pace of change is fast enough that it can be assured the world will look very different by then. Globally, the United Nations has a programme that is focussed on making sure it looks not just different, but better than it does today. This focus is encapsulated in the unifying ideas of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.
Farming has an important role to play in this global ambition. The second SDG of the 17 is to achieve zero hunger by 2030. Furthermore, as stewards of the environment, farmers also align with other goals, such as goal number 15, to protect and restore life on land.
For farmers, true sustainability means not just environmental sustainability, but also economic sustainability. The good news is that the fundamentals that drive the economic health of a farm also drive better environmental outcomes. This means that, although environmental footprints do not just take care of themselves, they are given a helping hand as farming outcomes improve, something farmers strive to achieve every day.
Taking a life cycle analysis approach to environmental assessment provides the mechanism that quantifies this balance, wrapping some numbers around the whole system that allows farming to tell its story in a way that finds approval with many groups.
The Alltech® E-CO2 environmental programme employs an animal-centred approach that is underpinned by animal health and welfare and is sensitive to the profitability of the farming enterprise. Following these principles, it is possible to generate real evidence that guides decision making and allows an operation to meet multiple expectations.
Farming is changing. One thing that never changes is people’s need for food. The UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 serve to align the world’s focus on what is important. In doing this, the Goals help lift the importance of agriculture to our future prosperity.
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