scholarly journals Agricultural Biodiversity and Coastal Food Systems: A Socio-ecological and Trans-ecosystem Case Study in Aurora Province, Philippines

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-84
Author(s):  
Shan Faye Alejos ◽  
◽  
Marivic Pajaro ◽  
Mark Raquino ◽  
Alex Stuart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Maternal Malnutrition ◽  
Sustainability Research ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Arthropod Biodiversity ◽  
Action Research And Learning ◽  
Organizational Results

This paper presents a ridge-to-reef case study on Philippine biodiversity conservation that focused on reducing agricultural chemicals as a contribution to development goals of optimized food security, improving water quality, and mitigating maternal malnutrition. Building upon an earlier study that engaged participants and jurisdictions, farmers were oriented on biodiversity considerations and engaged in ecologically-based rodent management that was extended across the province of Aurora through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist. Subsequently, a Participatory Action Research and Learning (PARL) cycle was conducted among 14 farmer participants to support biodiversity-friendly agriculture. Developed with local farmers, a biodiversity assessment demonstrated that organic approaches in rice farms increased arthropod biodiversity and reduced the number of key insect pests. The organizational results from this biodiversity study further indicated that local government participation can promote positive change by helping overcome the disconnect between communities and sustainability research. The approach to biodiversity-friendly agriculture reached a milestone through the collaborative development of an agricultural protected area supported by drafting a municipal ordinance to encourage the continued expansion of biodiversity-friendly agriculture and reductions in the chemical load of a key Aurora watershed. This paper discusses the biodiversity analysis and organizational results within the context of trans-ecosystem knowledge management and the goal of improving chronic maternal malnutrition that has been identified in coastal settlements of Aurora.

Smart practices in HEIs and the contribution to the SDGs: implementation in Brazilian university

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liane Dalla Gasperina ◽  
Janaina Mazutti ◽  
Luciana Londero Brandli ◽  
Roberto dos Santos Rabello
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Infrastructure Management ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainability Research ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose Smart campuses can be seen as the future of higher education efforts, especially for their contributions to sustainability and to encourage innovation. This paper aims to present the benefits of smart practices in a Higher Education Institutions and highlights its connections to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach The methodology is divided into three steps: first, an international search and assessment of smart practices at universities; second, the identification of smart practices in a university campus in southern Brazil; and third, the presentation of the benefits of smart practices and their relationship with the SDGs. Findings The results showed that globally, the area most covered by smart practices in universities is the environment and, specifically, focused on waste reduction. in the context of this case study, the benefits of implementing smart practices mainly reach SDGs 4 and SDG 9, especially due to aspects of teaching technologies for the new classroom models and the optimization of campus infrastructure management. Practical implications The study encourages other universities to implement smart practices in their campuses, to becoming smart campuses while they also collaborate in achieving the SDGs while raising the discussion on the importance of committed actions taken on a university campus with the UN SDGs, to leverage synergies on campus operations at universities. Originality/value This paper presents a set of smart practices that universities are applying both globally and locally (in southern Brazil). In addition, it contributes to sustainability research by showing how smart practices have the potential to promote SDGs in universities, especially through campus operations.

Toward Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Brazil

2020 ◽  
pp. 446-470
Author(s):  
Cecilia G. Flocco
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Frameworks ◽  
Production Complex ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Negative Impacts

Central to advancing the ambitious United Nations’ seventeen sustainable development goals (SDG) is the challenge of meeting the growing global demand for food and agricultural products while minimizing negative impacts on natural resources. Such a formidable mission requires both contributions from science, technology, and innovation (STI) to engineer sustainable production systems and the establishment of solid cross-sectoral policy frameworks supporting those efforts. This chapter identifies key leverage points across agricultural production systems, effective STI contributions, and policy frameworks aiming at meeting the global food demand in sustainable ways. The soybean production complex in Brazil is presented as a case study through which cross-sectoral efforts focused on developing sustainable agri-food systems are analyzed. Emphasis is placed on approaches contributing to harmonize agricultural production with the conservation of land ecosystems and key soil functions (SDG15, terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity), since those support the achievement of interlinked SDGs aiming to reduce poverty and hunger (SDGS 1, 2) and improve societal (SDGs 3, 6, 8) and environmental well-being (SDGs 12, 13, 15). Examples of successful partnerships (SDG17) between stakeholders across the agri-food supply chain are also discussed.

scholarly journals Microbiome Research: Open Communication Today, Microbiome Applications in the Future

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1960
Author(s):  
Bettina Schelkle ◽  
Quentin Galland
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Microbiome Research ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Eu

Microbiome research has recently gained centre-stage in both basic science and translational applications, yet researchers often feel that public communication about its potential overpromises. This manuscript aims to share a perspective on how scientists can engage in more open, ethical and transparent communication using an ongoing research project on food systems microbiomes as a case study. Concrete examples of strategically planned communication efforts are outlined, which aim to inspire and empower other researchers. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on the benefits of open and transparent communication from early-on in innovation pathways, mainly increasing trust in scientific processes and thus paving the way to achieving societal milestones such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Green Deal.

scholarly journals The role of Female Movement Champion (PKK) as the social glue in urban community planning: Case study applied research of “ Kota Layak Anak” Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 211 ◽  
pp. 01021
Author(s):  
Irene Sondang Fitrinitia ◽  
Esti Suyanti ◽  
Lita Sari Barus
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
The Social ◽  
Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals Number 11 initiates the existence of sustainable cities and communities. Creating this sustainable, livable, and harmonization between city and community should consider the multi-direction of development in response to dynamic change. It can be a top-down or bottom-up process. Participatory methods become a backbone for urban communities to build a livable environment in the micro-scale of planning. It can be shown from the existence of female champions such as members of the PKK group lead many community programs in household neighborhoods. This study wants to describe the female cadre’s participatory action through the program Kota Layak Anak and analyzing to what extent the role of female cadre as a glue for the community to maintain the collectiveness among them. This article is applied research when data collecting base on information and observation through community activity. It also adds by content analysis as a comparison. We like to capture and analyze regard to the female champion and its relatedness with the urban community. The existence of female champion is significant to city planning to preserve social cohesion. Not only as a driving force for the collective program but also become a social glue among the community.

Disruptive innovation and operationalization in local and sustainable food systems: Examining the University of Toronto-Local Food Plus partnership

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-139
Author(s):  
Lori Stahlbrand
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Disruptive Innovation ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
The University

This paper traces the partnership between the University of Toronto and the non-profit Local Food Plus (LFP) to bring local sustainable food to its St. George campus. At its launch, the partnership represented the largest purchase of local sustainable food at a Canadian university, as well as LFP’s first foray into supporting institutional procurement of local sustainable food. LFP was founded in 2005 with a vision to foster sustainable local food economies. To this end, LFP developed a certification system and a marketing program that matched certified farmers and processors to buyers. LFP emphasized large-scale purchases by public institutions. Using information from in-depth semi-structured key informant interviews, this paper argues that the LFP project was a disruptive innovation that posed a challenge to many dimensions of the established food system. The LFP case study reveals structural obstacles to operationalizing a local and sustainable food system. These include a lack of mid-sized infrastructure serving local farmers, the domination of a rebate system of purchasing controlled by an oligopolistic foodservice sector, and embedded government support of export agriculture. This case study is an example of praxis, as the author was the founder of LFP, as well as an academic researcher and analyst.

scholarly journals Towards Sustainable Mobility? The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Romanian Mobile Citizens in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 4023
Author(s):  
Silvia Marcu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
New Models ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Depth Interviews

Using the case study of Romanians in Spain, this article highlights how the COVID-19 crisis presents both challenges and opportunities when it comes to human mobility and sustainability. Drawing on in-depth interviews with mobile people during the period of lockdown and circulation restrictions, and in accordance with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the paper advances and contributes to the relevance of sustainability and its impact on people’s mobility in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I argue that even in the midst of the crisis, sustainable ways may be found to promote and protect human mobility. The paper raises the way sustainability acts as a driver, gains relevance and influence, and contributes to the creation of new models of resilient mobility in times of crisis. The conclusions defend the respect for the SDGs regarding human mobility and emphasise the role of people on the move as sustainable actors learning to overcome distance and the barriers to their mobility during the pandemic.

scholarly journals International Industrial Internship: A Case Study from a Japanese Engineering University Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Wai Kian Tan ◽  
Minoru Umemoto
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
International Internship ◽  
Rapport Building ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
International Internships ◽  
Internship Programs

In this globalization-focused era, the demand for globalized engineers in the creation of borderless societies is increasing. Despite the initiatives by the Japanese government to promote internalization through increasing the intake of foreign students, the exposures gained by the Japanese students from these programs are minimal. For years, internship has been used globally as a platform for training and educating future engineers, but only a few studies have examined the proactive transformation from domestic to international internship. International internships overseas offer a completely new dimension of experiences when carried out in multicultural environments. This article reports and offers evidence of a Japanese engineering university’s rapid global internship reform strategy toward the expansion of international internships in Malaysia. This paper provides insights into the process, from initial setup to implementation of the internship program covering all the necessary preparation and support. From the establishment of an overseas collaboration base and rapport building with hosting industries, the systematic steps taken are reported. Regarding the internship program, feedback from Japanese engineering students who completed their internships show improved satisfaction due to continuous improvement of the internship program with progressing years. It was also discovered that the low participation rate in overseas internship by Japanese students is not due to their inward-looking temperament, but due to the lack of internship program availability that is administered with sufficient preparation enabling them to challenge themselves in a new environment. The challenges encountered in the program, and the sustainable improvements made in alignment with sustainable development goals toward equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning are also stated. In this paper, the future perspectives and outlook of internships are also described considering today’s rapid technological advancements and the fast-changing needs of industries, which require future internship programs to have flexible approaches and ideologies.

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