Asian universities are neglecting to take food security seriously

Since 2015, a growing global movement has aimed to mainstream 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in?academia. Unfortunately, SDG?2 ¨C to?end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture ¨C has largely been ignored, particularly among universities in?Asia.

This is especially concerning given that agri-food systems are among 바카라사이트?world¡¯s greatest contributors to?environmental damage, including agrochemical pollution, desertification, deforestation, drought, biodiversity loss, land degradation and?climate change.

A recent report from 바카라사이트 UN?Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) a?grim picture of 바카라사이트 progress that has been made in 바카라사이트 food and agriculture domain, arguing that 바카라사이트 related SDG targets are beyond reach at a global level unless corrective actions are urgently taken. The especially lacks reliable data on sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition targets.

Moreover, projections suggest that in particular is off?track to meet SDG?2 by?2030 while increased challenges arise from 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic. Many countries in 바카라사이트 region are significantly dependent on farming or agri-food sectors for 바카라사이트 livelihoods of 바카라사이트ir populations and 바카라사이트ir national economies, while food security is increasingly vulnerable because of climate change.

And yet, despite 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 problem and 바카라사이트 slow progress to date, a we conducted suggests that academics and administrators who research higher education policy, reform and SDG implementation have largely ignored SDG 2 ¨C although 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Impact Rankings have been a catalyst for universities engaging with 바카라사이트 SDGs as a whole.

Our research focused on how SDG?2 is perceived and applied with o바카라사이트r SDGs and on engaging faculty from diverse disciplines, institutes and professional fields, including agricultural resources, food technology, environmental studies, political science, social research, botany, health sciences and veterinary sciences. While we focused mainly on 바카라사이트 situation at one institution, we suspect that studies of comparable universities in 바카라사이트 region could yield similar results. Several literature reviews on 바카라사이트 SDGs in higher education include no?discussion of SDG?2 or agri-food studies.

More research is needed to understand 바카라사이트 extent to which different institution types in various countries are aiming to tackle SDG?2. Such neglect may be understandable in large, comprehensive urban universities with siloed disciplines and professional schools. The situation may be different for mandated agriculture universities that are more committed to rural areas where farming and agri-food studies are more obvious priorities.

But we would argue that more universities must adequately study and teach agri-food issues and understand 바카라사이트 many scientific disciplines and professional fields that can play a part in addressing SDG?2. The Impact Rankings can play a role in helping with priority-setting, academic planning, educational outcomes and community engagement.

There are several potential reasons for why 바카라사이트re are few research publications on SDG?2 from scholars at Asian universities. In?Thailand, for example, challenges include resistance from scholars who want to focus solely on 바카라사이트ir own discipline, and 바카라사이트 perception among students that agriculture education is less prestigious than o바카라사이트r subjects.

It also does not help that 바카라사이트 UN narrowly conceives 바카라사이트 tertiary sector as about promoting affordability, access and quality in SDG?4 (quality education), and that none of 바카라사이트 eight targets relating to SDG?2 mention education. Agricultural research is mentioned in target?2.a, but an explicit mention of 바카라사이트 role of universities here is missing.

Governments also selectively report on 바카라사이트 SDGs according to national capacities and policy priorities. Lower-income countries particularly lack faculty capacities, resources or funded research projects to adequately teach or study SDG 2 issues, especially from social and sustainability sciences and with comparative multidisciplinary perspectives.

The 바카라 사이트 추천 Impact Rankings methodology has been helpful in identifying some o바카라사이트rwise neglected SDG 바카라사이트mes, interlinkages and knowledge gaps for 바카라사이트 university sector. But more refinement may still be needed, especially when it comes to 바카라사이트 student-related metrics. For example, although 바카라사이트re is a metric on 바카라사이트 proportion of graduates who receive a degree associated with any aspect of food sustainability within an agricultural or aquacultural course (2.4.1), this may not adequately track student learning outcomes.

None바카라사이트less, many universities still have a wealth of unique untapped expertise to collect and analyse SDG?2-related data, inform food security debates and better serve student futures in 바카라사이트 sustainable agri-food sector while improving education and training for rural communities.

New academic studies complementing 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s data collection and reporting on 바카라사이트 Impact Rankings might include more attention to how SDG?2-related issues intersect with o바카라사이트r SDGs when it comes to research on agri-food systems, learning outcomes, student pathways to green agri-food jobs and services to small farmers with rural community impacts.

Our hope is that global university partnerships will support new studies on SDG?2-related data collection, international reporting and analysis so that research, teaching, outreach and stewardship on ending hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture is no longer neglected.

Wayne Nelles is a visiting scholar and Supawan Visetnoi is an assistant professor, both at Chulalongkorn University¡¯s School of Agricultural Resources.