Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Local Food Systems

Abstract

The initial efforts to fulfill Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Japan were considered as issues for the central government and large enterprises to address, though local governments and local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are becoming more interested. However, while these local entities understand the need to take action, they are limited by their knowledge of what they can actually do. On the other hand, in the Tohoku and Miyagi regions, all local stakeholders worked to restore a sustainable food system in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. These efforts not only match the basic principles of the SDGs, but also represent an advanced approach that contributes to the realization of the SDGs. In other words, these efforts offer an important point of discussion related to the SDGs in the Tohoku and Miyagi regions. At this symposium, four presenters first provide examples of local efforts related to the SDGs goals, and subsequently hold discussions focusing on the relationship between the Great East Japan Earthquake and a region's sustainability, including that of its food systems.