Sustainable Development Goals
At Wageningen University & Research, we work every day on solutions to the major challenges of our time. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guide our course. In our research, education and operations, we connect science and practice to make the world healthier, more sustainable and more equitable.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are deeply embedded in Wageningen University & Research’s education. In almost all bachelor’s and master’s programmes, students address global challenges such as food security, health, innovation, sustainable cities, climate, and biodiversity. They not only learn about sustainability but actively contribute to it. Initiatives such as WURth-while, offering refugees access to free courses, and the Wageningen Borlaug Youth Institute, encouraging young people to think about solutions to global food issues, make this engagement tangible.
The Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme strengthens this commitment through interdisciplinary research and education in collaboration with partners in low- and middle-income countries. In its current phase (2024–2030), the programme focuses on fostering sustainable global transitions, with explicit attention to each project’s contribution to the SDGs.
SDG 2 Zero Hunger
The world’s population is rapidly growing towards 9 billion by 2050, putting increasing pressure on food production, natural resources, and agricultural land. Achieving sustainable food security requires a multidisciplinary approach that connects production, technology, and consumer behaviour. WUR explores how existing farmland can be used more efficiently, how photosynthesis can be improved, and how food waste can be reduced. Research also addresses the links between nutrition, health, and inequality, for example through the FermFood programme. In this way, WUR contributes to sustainable, healthy, and equitable food systems worldwide.
SDG 3 Good health and well-being
Wageningen University & Research explores how healthy diets, lifestyles, and prevention can improve global well-being. We address food-related health issues such as poor eating habits, malnutrition, food safety, and sustainable production. New scientific insights are translated into better food products and healthy consumption guidelines. For example: the ECO2 programme studies how ecology and economics can jointly promote sustainable development and conservation along Egypt’s Nile River.
SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation
Water quality is essential for global food production and daily life. As the world’s population grows and becomes more prosperous, managing freshwater resources is becoming increasingly complex. Effective water management helps to cope with droughts and floods while creating healthy living environments. Researchers at Wageningen University & Research are developing solutions to ensure sufficient food and clean water now and in the future. Take a look at the RIVER COMMONS project studies and supports equitable and inclusive forms of river co-governance worldwide, bringing together local communities and partners to build sustainable socio-ecological river systems.
SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities
More and more people live in urban areas, putting pressure on the social, economic and environmental quality of city life. Urban greenery improves air quality, reduces stress and promotes physical activity and social cohesion. Wageningen University & Research studies how green infrastructure can make cities healthier and more sustainable. Through Wageningen Metropolitan Solutions, WUR develops knowledge and tools to plan, design and manage urban nature effectively. The Smart-In-Ag programme enhances Indonesian agriculture by applying smart technologies in fish and dairy production to improve efficiency, sustainability, and farmers’ livelihoods.
SDG12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Globally, one-third of all food is lost between farm and fork. Reducing food waste benefits people, the planet, and the economy. WUR studies how to make production processes more sustainable by lowering energy and water use. The circular economy helps to ease pressure on natural resources and create a more sustainable food system. Research conducted by Wageningen University & Research has led to the Dutch national initiative “United against food waste”.
SDG 13 Climate Action
Climate change affects food production, biodiversity, and living environments worldwide. Wageningen University & Research develops knowledge and solutions to cut emissions, restore ecosystems, and build societal resilience. Projects such as INREEF enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems in tourism destinations to climate change. In doing so, WUR helps accelerate the global transition to a sustainable, climate-resilient future.
SDG 14 Life Below Water
Wageningen University & Research studies how oceans and coastal areas can be managed and used sustainably worldwide. Wageningen Marine Research provides governments and businesses with insights into the impacts of human activity on marine ecosystems and biodiversity. From polar regions to tropical coral reefs, WUR develops solutions for healthy, resilient oceans. In doing so, WUR contributes to the sustainable management of life below water.
SDG 15 Life on Land
Wageningen University & Research studies how human activity affects ecosystems and how to maintain the resilience of land, water, and nature. Researchers develop solutions to improve coexistence between people and wildlife while linking conservation to sustainable development. Projects such as OIL-CLiPS explore how climate change and farming practices impact ecosystem health. In this way, WUR contributes globally to restoring and sustainably managing life on land.
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Today’s complex challenges require collaboration across borders. Wageningen University & Research works worldwide with universities, businesses, governments, and civil society to develop sustainable solutions. Through international initiatives such as the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme, WUR combines knowledge and innovation to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. In doing so, WUR connects science and practice to create real impact for a sustainable world.
SDG 2 Zero Hunger
The world’s population is rapidly growing towards 9 billion by 2050, putting increasing pressure on food production, natural resources, and agricultural land. Achieving sustainable food security requires a multidisciplinary approach that connects production, technology, and consumer behaviour. WUR explores how existing farmland can be used more efficiently, how photosynthesis can be improved, and how food waste can be reduced. Research also addresses the links between nutrition, health, and inequality, for example through the FermFood programme. In this way, WUR contributes to sustainable, healthy, and equitable food systems worldwide.
SDG 3 Good health and well-being
Wageningen University & Research explores how healthy diets, lifestyles, and prevention can improve global well-being. We address food-related health issues such as poor eating habits, malnutrition, food safety, and sustainable production. New scientific insights are translated into better food products and healthy consumption guidelines. For example: the ECO2 programme studies how ecology and economics can jointly promote sustainable development and conservation along Egypt’s Nile River.
SDG 6 Clean water and sanitation
Water quality is essential for global food production and daily life. As the world’s population grows and becomes more prosperous, managing freshwater resources is becoming increasingly complex. Effective water management helps to cope with droughts and floods while creating healthy living environments. Researchers at Wageningen University & Research are developing solutions to ensure sufficient food and clean water now and in the future. Take a look at the RIVER COMMONS project studies and supports equitable and inclusive forms of river co-governance worldwide, bringing together local communities and partners to build sustainable socio-ecological river systems.
SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities
More and more people live in urban areas, putting pressure on the social, economic and environmental quality of city life. Urban greenery improves air quality, reduces stress and promotes physical activity and social cohesion. Wageningen University & Research studies how green infrastructure can make cities healthier and more sustainable. Through Wageningen Metropolitan Solutions, WUR develops knowledge and tools to plan, design and manage urban nature effectively. The Smart-In-Ag programme enhances Indonesian agriculture by applying smart technologies in fish and dairy production to improve efficiency, sustainability, and farmers’ livelihoods.
SDG12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Globally, one-third of all food is lost between farm and fork. Reducing food waste benefits people, the planet, and the economy. WUR studies how to make production processes more sustainable by lowering energy and water use. The circular economy helps to ease pressure on natural resources and create a more sustainable food system. Research conducted by Wageningen University & Research has led to the Dutch national initiative “United against food waste”.
SDG 13 Climate Action
Climate change affects food production, biodiversity, and living environments worldwide. Wageningen University & Research develops knowledge and solutions to cut emissions, restore ecosystems, and build societal resilience. Projects such as INREEF enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems in tourism destinations to climate change. In doing so, WUR helps accelerate the global transition to a sustainable, climate-resilient future.
SDG 14 Life Below Water
Wageningen University & Research studies how oceans and coastal areas can be managed and used sustainably worldwide. Wageningen Marine Research provides governments and businesses with insights into the impacts of human activity on marine ecosystems and biodiversity. From polar regions to tropical coral reefs, WUR develops solutions for healthy, resilient oceans. In doing so, WUR contributes to the sustainable management of life below water.
SDG 15 Life on Land
Wageningen University & Research studies how human activity affects ecosystems and how to maintain the resilience of land, water, and nature. Researchers develop solutions to improve coexistence between people and wildlife while linking conservation to sustainable development. Projects such as OIL-CLiPS explore how climate change and farming practices impact ecosystem health. In this way, WUR contributes globally to restoring and sustainably managing life on land.
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Today’s complex challenges require collaboration across borders. Wageningen University & Research works worldwide with universities, businesses, governments, and civil society to develop sustainable solutions. Through international initiatives such as the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme, WUR combines knowledge and innovation to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. In doing so, WUR connects science and practice to create real impact for a sustainable world.
Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme
The Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme (formerly known as INREF) is funded by Wageningen University investing in interdisciplinary research and education projects in close collaboration with partners in low and middle income countries. Since 2000 WUR is investing in interdisciplinary Research and Education. The programme is currently in the fifth phase running from 2024-2030. Each project has to indicate its contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Sustainability
Each project within the programme has to indicate its contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 17 goals for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.
“WUR is strongly committed to contributing to these goals through its sustainable operations and premises, but most of all through its research and education programmes.”
- Rector Magnificus Carolien Kroeze
Examples
Mabisi is a fermented milk beverage that is extremely popular in southern Zambia. It is not sold in shops, but thanks to interdisciplinary research by universities in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Benin, and Wageningen, official certification is now within reach. What began as a study of bacteria could ultimately lead to higher incomes and greater empowerment for women in rural areas.
In southern Zambia, farmers generally bring their fresh milk to the dairy cooperative by bicycle or on foot. If tests show that the milk arrived too late to be accepted for processing, it can still be used to make Mabisi. This task traditionally falls to the women on the farm. They strain the milk, transfer it to another container, and leave it for several hours to a full day. During this time, the bacteria do their work, and the milk becomes sour and thick. The women then sell the product along the roadside.
Mabisi is popular and sells quickly. Many motorists stop to buy a full jerrycan to take home. The drink has existed for as long as people can remember, and many Zambians will tell you it is good for your health. In shops, however, only a version made from pasteurized milk is available, which differs from the traditional product. There is no fixed recipe or method for the traditional version. Each farm has its own way of making this fermented milk, prompting concern from the Zambian government about the quality of these traditional products.
In collaboration with universities in Benin, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has studied every aspect of Mabisi. Since 2019, more than ten PhD candidates from various countries have been working on projects examining its microbiological composition and shelf life, value chains, nutrition and health, food security, and women’s entrepreneurship. All of these multidisciplinary efforts come together in the project "Traditional Fermented Foods to Promote Food and Nutrition Security in Africa", part of the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme, which supports this wide-ranging research approach.
Taken together, these research findings could enable the official certification of Mabisi. The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) is closely involved in the project. Together, they will develop a code of practice that defines and regulates the main production parameters, such as the quality of raw milk and the pH level of the final product. These standards are essential for food safety and for ensuring consistent product quality—key requirements for certification.
Certification would have a significant impact on the incomes of dairy farmers. The cooperative could produce Mabisi itself and bring it to market, contributing to food security and improving the health of Zambians. It would also greatly affect the position of women on the farm, since they are the driving force behind this popular beverage: they develop the recipe, produce it, and sell it.
The board of the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme, formerly known as INREF, has granted eight seed money projects. Preparing full research proposals is a major effort, requiring extensive time investment to work on the proposal and on the network involved. As Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme is focused on interdisciplinary collaboration, the board is providing the opportunity for researchers to get a small compensation for the investment in network and research ideas through seed money projects.
Climate-Smart Food Crops for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa
Recurring droughts, worsened by climate change, are causing food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa due to widespread crop failures. This project addresses Climate-Smart Food Crops (CSFCs), specifically their markets (business adaptation), fermentation technology (optimized processing), and policy (formulations, evaluation, and monitoring) for the inclusion of CSFC nutritious foods in school feeding programs. By focusing on these three areas, the project aims to meet the nutritional needs of children while also stimulating local economies. The implementation of CSFCs in school feeding programs not only addresses immediate food insecurity but also promotes sustainable agricultural practices and local economic development.
TRAC-K: Towards Resilient African Coasts - Kenya as a Role Model
Kenya’s nearly 500 kilometers of tropical coastline are home to highly biodiverse ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests. Coastal development and climate change have reduced the area covered by these ecosystems and threaten the condition of the remaining natural resources. To combat these challenges, the Kenyan government established a Coral Reef and Seagrass Ecosystems Conservation Strategy in 2015 and a National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan in 2017. While coordinated actions to implement the mangrove management plan have commenced, conservation of seagrass and coral reefs is still in a preliminary phase.
These projects exemplify the kind of interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts that the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme aims to foster, addressing complex global challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions.
All approved proposals:
- Pluralizing values of livestock in Africa’s food systems: between production commodity and Ukusisela - Simon Oosting
- Developing a Novel Air Quality Platform for Improving Indoor/Outdoor Air Quality in Urban Philippines through transdisciplinary Collaborations – Establishing Proof of Concept - Anita Hardon
- On the verge to a FARMer-led, on-farm soil HEALTH monitoring in east Africa (FARMHEALTH) - Stefan Geisen
- Resilience in a turbulent world: lessons from smallholder farming communities across the globe - Miranda Meuwissen
- Towards Just Sustainability Transformation - Otto Hospes
- Fish farming to improve food and nutrition security, mental health, and wellbeing among adolescents in rural areas of Indonesia: development of a longitudinal study-based intervention - Alida Melse-Boonstra
- TRAC-K: Towards Resilient African Coasts - Kenya as a role model - Ronald Osinga
- Boosting Nutrition and Resilience: Fermenting Climate-Smart Crops for School Meal Programs - Ruth Ngadze
The board of the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme, formerly known as INREF, has granted three new overarching projects. These projects will be executed during the next five years, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals initiated by the United Nations.
Wageningen University finds it very important to contribute to the SDG's within research itself. That's why the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme was initiated in 2000 and funding comes from the University’s own sources. Interdisciplinary research is core in all three projects that have been approved.
Oil-CLIPS: mitigating a new oil crisis
Indonesia and Colombia are major palm oil producers. Although there is a lot of discussion about palm oil it is an important source of income for millions of small holder farmers and provides affordable cooking oil for millions of households. The Production is facing threats from diseases: Basal Stem Rot (BSR) in Indonesia (and Malaysia), and Bud Rot (BR) in Colombia (and other Latin American countries). These diseases spread rapidly, affecting oil palm production. Project Oil-CLIPS aims to understand and manage BSR and BR under changing climates and farming practices, preserving oil palm landscapes and livelihoods. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, involving partners like Wageningen University, CeniPalma (Colombia), and University Gadjah Mada (Indonesia), with expertise in Phytopathology, climate studies, farming systems, and social sciences/economy.
All approved proposals:
- Oil-CLIPS: mitigating a new oil crisis - Project leader Maja Slingerland
- Food Security Intelligence, FSI: From data to intelligence, a collaborative knowledge system for the sustainable improvement of food and nutritional security - Project leader Joost van Heerwaarden
- CONNECT: Transdisciplinary research to connect conservation and development through basic income support - Project leader Robert Fletcher
The nature and severity of disturbances in contemporary agri-food systems are becoming increasingly unpredictable. As a result, resilience within these systems is gaining priority on political and business agendas, but addressing this challenge requires a new approach. In 2024, the United Nations reported that current progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is seriously lagging behind. Significant upscaling of action is essential to meet these goals.
INTRINSIC — which stands for Investigations, Narratives and Teachings on Resilience: Initiating Novel Scaling in an International Context — responds to this urgent call by working to enhance the resilience of farmers and other actors within global food systems. Additionally, the research team is preparing a “post-SDG” agenda. This project is funded by Wageningen University C Research’s Global Sustainability Program.
INTRINSIC identifies intrinsic, shock-resistant properties that have been demonstrated to proactively contribute to the resilience of agri-food systems in the face of negative economic, social, or environmental impacts. To do so, the project team draws on the extensive knowledge and experiences of resilient farming communities worldwide, which have already been mapped through the Global Network of Lighthouse Farms.
INTRINSIC’s focal regions span Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Kurdistan Region in Iraq. INTRINSIC will develop a roadmap to scale resilience attributes, thereby paving the way for future-proof, intrinsically resilient farming and food systems.
Wageningen University C Research takes an interdisciplinary, science-based approach to solving major global challenges as outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). INTRINSIC’s focus on strengthening the intrinsic resilience of agri-food systems aligns particularly well with the following SDGs 1 – No Poverty, SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 13 – Climate Action, and SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals.
After analysing resilience attributes within and across Lighthouse Farm Communities, the program co-creates and implements five action-oriented intervention pilots together with five of the world’s major development organisations. The INTRINSIC team comprises Wageningen PhD students, MSc and EngD students, postdoctoral researchers, representatives of Lighthouse Farm research partners, partners from development organisations, and an interdisciplinary Wageningen University team. The team is supported by an advisory board consisting of Wageningen experts and representatives from (inter)national development organisations.
Within the UN Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs) are recognised as critical spaces for achieving biodiversity conservation goals. The project “Area Based Conservation Futures”(ABC Futures) initiates research to further delve into the issue of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC)-led conservation. For this effort it receives funding from the Wageningen Global Sustainability Programme.
The Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted in late 2022 and explicitly acknowledges the importance of ITTs and the central role of IPLCs in safeguarding the planet’s natural heritage. At the same time IPLCs face mounting challenges; climate change, extractive industries such as logging and mining, land use changes, and environmental crimes increasingly threaten both biodiversity and the integrity of indigenous lands. While IPLCs are increasingly seen as "conservation champions," there is an urgent need for a deeper understanding and support for their diverse strategies and practices. That is where the project ABC Futures comes in.
ABC Futures initiates research in four country regions to delve deeper into the issue of IPLC-led conservation;
- in indigenous communities across Surinam
- with multiple stakeholders in the mouth of the Brazilian Amazon
- in and around Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique
- and with pastoralist communities in the northern rangelands of Kenya. The ABC Futures consortium consists of multiple groups of Wageningen University, international knowledge institutions (CIFOR-ICRAF, Anton de Kom University, Resilience BV) and civil society partners (Fauna Conservation Surinam, Gorongosa NP, Nature & People as One Kenya, WWF Kenya)
ABC Futures is aligned with the WGSP’s ‘crossing borders’ philosophy:bridging gaps between disciplines, regions and knowledge systems. WUR plays a central coordinating role and contributes expertise in landscape ecology, participatory research, policy analysis and natural resource management.
This collaboration brings together scientific knowledge, local expertise and policy engagement to achieve sustainable and inclusive forest landscape restoration in East Africa. The project contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals, among which: SDG 13 - Climate Action, SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
Through activities such as national workshops and by attending international summits, ABC Futures consortium seeks to offer a new perspective on biodiversity conservation.
Forest restoration is a powerful nature-based solution that addresses both environmental and social challenges affecting ecosystems and human well-being. It has gained significant attention on global political agendas. In 2011, the Bonn Challenge set an ambitious global target: to restore 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030.
REFOREST-IT! supports this global ambition, while emphasising a critical gap—the lack of thorough analysis on the indicators that determine the effectiveness of various forest restoration methods (FRMs). The project argues that large-scale forest restoration can only succeed if environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are taken into account. To address this, REFOREST-IT! aims to develop a portfolio of forest restoration methods, each linked to specific benefits based on context-sensitive indicators. This portfolio will be informed by a comparative evaluation of four different restoration methods across three countries (Brazil, Ghana, and Kenya) in diverse environmental and socio-economic conditions. Such an approach allows to explore both broader patterns and context-dependency of restoration outcomes.
REFOREST-IT! advocates for transformative change to rehabilitate degraded landscapes—restoring the vital relationship between people and nature. Through this transformation, the project aspires to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Funded by the WGSP, the project's outcomes will be directed toward a wide range of policymakers and practitioners engaged with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). REFOREST-IT! directly supports the mission of Wageningen University C Research to improve quality of life and specifically contributes to the SDGs 1 – No Poverty, 2 – Zero Hunger, 13 – Climate Action, and 15 – Life on Land.
Questions?
Please contact one of our experts.
ir. JB (Jelle) Maas
International Liaison Officer - Africa