The Partnership for the Implementation of the Environmental Dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs Partnership “Together for the Environment”) is an initiative of UNEP/GRID-Warsaw, which implements the mission of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Poland.
The SDGs Partnership “Together for the Environment” responds to the need to create a friendly climate in Poland and the best possible conditions for achieving of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included in Agenda 2030, adopted by the United Nations at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York on 25 September 2015.
The Association for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Poland has become an institutional partner of the SDGs Partnership ‘Together for the Environment’. The official confirmation of joining the programme took place during the celebration of World Environment Day. We will work together to realise the environmental dimension of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by raising awareness of sustainable development and environmental protection, particularly in the area of sustainable agriculture and food production.
Source: UNEP/GRID-Warszawa.
According to the UN, up to 40% of the planet’s land surface has been degraded. This means that we are talking about a problem that directly affects half of the world’s population and half of the world’s GDP. Since 2000 alone, the number and duration of droughts has increased by almost a third. If we do not take action to prevent further degradation of the planet’s surface, more than three-quarters of humanity could be affected by drought by 2050.
– says Michał Purol, Chief Sustainability Officer at UNEP/GRID-Warsaw.
Human activities and unsustainable production and consumption, are taking a toll on ecosystems around the world. UNEP/GRID-Warszawa supports Poland’s valuable ecosystems in cooperation with conservation services, including Poland’s national parks, involving representatives of the private sector in their restoration and protection. Companies associated with the agro-food sector can also take action to support the ecosystems in which they operate.
Such practices can include the introduction of new climate-resilient crop varieties or the use of modern farming techniques. This makes it possible to implement a more sustainable agricultural model while maintaining profitable production. Such optimisations also apply to the rest of the food chain. In parallel, efforts should be made to reduce food waste and losses at the retail or catering level. This will also reduce water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
– said Małgorzata Bojańczyk, Director of the Association for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Poland.
These goals can be achieved by increasing funding for research and development of new technologies in crop and livestock production. Agri-food companies play a very important role in researching new developments in agriculture.
The European Commission, the Mayor of Warsaw and the General Directorate for Environmental Protection are the honorary patrons of the Polish celebration of World Environment Day.