To simultaneously reduce inequality, limit environmental impact of human activities and secure resilient livelihoods, the scientific research behind SDGs needs to consider not only the ecological integrity of life-supporting systems, but also the underlying socioeconomic stressors that affect their vulnerability in a changing world. Because insects and other invertebrates have profound and well-identified influences on many ecosystem services (e.g. pollination and biological control) and SDGs (e.g. crop pest and disease vectors), insect research and development have a great potential to address current global challenges.
This special issue, from Current Opinion in Insect Science, makes a case for expanding the breadth of disciplines that are directly involved in new transdisciplinary entomological research and making fundamental changes in the way researchers work with decision makers to co-create knowledge that will address pressing development problems. In other words, insect science needs to promote a sustainability science approach.
The current scale, pace, and practice of science are not keeping up with the changes in Earth and human conditions. The lack of a sustainability science approach is partly the reason why we have hard times fixing global issues such as the COVID-19 or locust swarms. It is more than ever pressing to incorporate SDGs into science to solve some of today’s global socio-environmental challenges. The crises, regardless of whether they concern devastating locust swarms or pandemics, demand it.
Current Opinion in Insect Science, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 24-30, ISSN 2214-5745
Current Opinion in Insect Science, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 31-38, ISSN 2214-5745
Current Opinion in Insect Science, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 56-61, ISSN 2214-5745, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.05.014.
Current Opinion in Insect Science, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 62-70, ISSN 2214-5745, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.05.013.
Current Opinion in Insect Science, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 71-76, ISSN 2214-5745
Current Opinion in Insect Science, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 77-84, ISSN 2214-5745, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.05.012.
Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2020, ISSN 2214-5745
Current Opinion in Insect Science, Volume 40, 2020, Pages 104-110, ISSN 2214-5745, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.05.018.