Imagine what you could accomplish in fifteen years – what you could learn, achieve, see, change and experience. Imagine the good you could do, and imagine the bad that could happen from not taking action when you should have.
This weekend, the leaders of all of the 193 United Nations member countries will get together to agree on a plan for the next fifteen years and they have their eyes on some pretty big things. Mainly, ending extreme poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and fixing climate change. Big is right.
On September 25, the leaders will commit to 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or #GlobalGoals, in order to accomplish these three objectives. We’re behind them 100 percent and have a particular fondness for a few of the global goals. Namely, ending hunger, promoting health and well-being for all ages and ensuring sustainable consumption.
#GlobalGoals: Ending Hunger
According to the World Food Programme (the food aid arm of the United Nations), roughly 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to live healthy, active lives. That’s about one in nine people. The UN wants to change this dramatically. Their ultimate goals are to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Over the next fifteen years, the UN has set a series of targets to guide their progress, including expanding the agricultural production of small-scale farms, providing the tools and resources farms need to remain productive, increase investment in rural infrastructure and promoting sustainable farming practices. They are also focusing on the growing issue of food waste. Food waste is a global problem, but in the United States alone, roughly 133 billion pounds of food are wasted each year. That’s 133 billion pounds of food that could be used to feed hungry individuals domestically and abroad.
As a company, we’ve already adopted many of these food sustainability practices in our business structure. We’re conscious of where we source our milk, where we purchase our supplies, and maintaining best practices to ensure we waste as little of our kefir as possible. Were also long time supporters of the World Food Programme and have worked with them to provide aid during times of crisis.
As individual members of the Lifeway Family, there are smaller steps we take to support hunger in our community – you can adopt them in your community, too! Consider some of the following ways to help fight hunger and decrease food waste in your hometown:
- Donate to local food pantries
- Volunteer in soup kitchens or shelters
- Buy local produce when possible
- Be a conscious shopper (don’t buy more than you need)
- Store food correctly (know what to freeze and what not to freeze)
- Understand expiration dates
- Support community food drives
- Start or contribute to a community garden
Being aware of hunger in your community is the first step in making a difference in hunger around the world!
There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals global leaders are committing to this weekend and we want to know what is important to you! Share with us the issues you’re concerned about by tweeting with the hashtags #GlobalGoals and #AndMe, or let us know your thoughts by visiting us on Facebook or Instagram.
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance
of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those
who have too little.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt