The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was agreed by 193 Member States at the United Nations in 2015 and culminated in 17 clear goals to reach by 2030. The goals apply equally to Australia and Australians as they do internationally.
We are actively contributing to 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through our continual work brokering and funding research partnerships between Australian scientists and their counterparts in developing countries.
These partnerships are formed through more than 350 projects across 36 countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Many of these countries are facing the complex challenge of how to grow more food and reduce poverty using less land and water while substantially reducing carbon emissions.
Making an impact – ACIAR’s role
As detailed in our Ten-Year Strategy, our commissioned projects are focused on achieving six objectives consistent with Australian aid policy, including:
- Improving food security and reducing poverty among smallholder farmers and rural communities
- Managing natural resources and producing food more sustainably, adapting to climate variability and mitigating climate change
- Enhancing human nutrition and reducing risks to human health
- Improving gender equity and empowerment of women and girls
- Fostering more inclusive agrifood and forestry market chains, engaging the private sector where possible
- Building scientific and policy capability within our partner countries
It is through achieving these six objectives our projects contribute to 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
On a nation by nation basis, progress towards achieving the SDGs 2030 will be tracked through Voluntary National Reviews. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recently conducting Australia’s first review, using ACIAR as an example of how Australia is taking regional and global action in ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.
A Sustainable Development Goals website has also been established to provide a live and ongoing platform to centralise and showcase action being taken across government, business, civil society and academia to advance the SDGs in the Australian context.
