Innovation Guelph analyzed Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) implementation and interaction from 40 unstructured interviews from SMEs participating in Guelph-Wellington’s Seeding Our Food Future (SOFF) program, part of the wider Our Food Future (OFF) initiative led by the City of Guelph and Wellington County. The authors used the United Nations SDGs as a research lens to build on traditional water, energy, food resource nexus approaches. This approach reveals the central position of the circular economy and gender in an emerging Food-Circular Economy-Women nexus in Guelph-Wellington’s agri-food sector.
Results show that 16/17 SDGs and associated targets were addressed by participating SMEs. Environmental SDGs were implemented the most, followed by social and economic ones. SDGs 2 (Sustainable Food Production), 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production), and 5 (Gender Equality) had the most general implementation and direct paired interactions and were associated with the broadest number of SDGs. Closer analysis revealed this nexus is most active in agriculture, and that women are responsible for introducing a social aspect, which addresses food security.
Read the paper for all the exciting lessons revealed!
