The winner of the first ever Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge, Dr Suzana Yusup, invited Rob van Daalen (publisher Chemistry and initiator of the Challenge) to make a site visit to see the progress of her project "Biopesticide for Improvement of Paddy Yield". The visit made clear that the Elsevier sustainability program and specifically this challenge have a positive impact on health, environment and society in local communities in Malaysia, enhancing efforts to advance SDGs 1, 6, 12 and 15.
This article addresses the health needs of slum residents, who are at an increased risk of developing mental health problems, non-communicable diseases, malnutrition, infectious diseases, and injuries due to violence. Children are especially vulnerable, as malnutrition can lead to stunted growth and impaired cognitive development. Slum health is under-represented in the scientific literature, despite an estimated doubling of slum populations by 2030, from today’s figure of 1 billion. Addressing the health-care needs of people living in slums will be vital to achieving SDG 3 and is related to SDG 1.
This chapter explores how five business leadership qualities can advance SDG 1 on no poverty. All companies are linked to global poverty, particularly through their supply chains, and have a responsibility to work towards eliminating negative impacts to the Goal.
Lucy Ajok, a 34 year old Ugandan farmer, gives Farmers Weekly an insight into her rural life. Lucy is a single mother of five children and lives on a three-acre farm practising mixed farming. Farming families dependent on family labour, like Lucy's, are typically the poorest in Uganda, and often have the additional challenge of HIV. This interview shares some of the challenges faced in achieving SDG 1 and SDG 2.
According to a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, responding to poverty-related problems accounts for almost 60% of council spending on children's services in England. This article highlights the financial impact of poverty on public spending in England. Issues related to poverty and inequality are prevalent globally: all countries must tackle SDG 1 and SDG 10.
Paul Anastas and Julie Zimmerman highlight the vital role chemistry must play in creating a sustainable future. The article provides a robust definition for green chemistry and examines the role of green chemistry in supporting the SDGs, with a particular focus on the goals addressing water, poverty and food: SDGs 1, 2, 6 and 12.
Agricultural development is critical to the advancement of Goal 2 (zero hunger). This concluding chapter summarises the roles of entrepreneurship and value chain organization in agricultural development in Brazil.
A study of the Massive Food Production Programme (MFPP) in South Africa shows that a focus on raising maize yields in small-scale farming environments did not result in a marked improvement in rural poverty or food security. This article presents results from a study of the MFPP in three villages in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. This article highlights the interconnection between SDG 1 - No Poverty and SDG 2 - Zero hunger and points to ways in which improvements in agriculture could have benefits on the livelihoods of the poorest small holder farmers.
The evidence that large income differences have damaging health and social consequences is strong and in most countries inequality is increasing. Narrowing the gap will improve the health and wellbeing of populations and contribute to the advancement of SDG 10.2 by empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all.
Are NGOs able to meet long-term transformative goals in their work for development and social justice? Given their weak roots in civil society and the rising tide of technocracy that has swept through the world of foreign aid, most NGOs remain poorly placed to influence the drivers of social change. By applying their knowledge of local contexts to strengthen their roles in empowerment and social transformation, they have the ability to advance SDG target 16.7 to ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
