UN sustainable development goals
In 2015, leaders from all across the world met and adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are to be implemented over the next 15 years, and build upon the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The SDGs call for all countries to unite and fight for these goals, which are expected to provide "a global blueprint of dignity, peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future."
The below information focuses on how freeganism ties into four of these SDGs. However, it should be noted that freeganism is a movement against consumerism and wastefulness, and as such it has ties to many if not all of these SDGs. |
SDG 2: Zero hunger
Freeganism helps promote the idea of zero hunger by minimizing food waste. It calls for people to take stock of the food that they have and to not throw away food easily. One of the major problems contributing to world hunger is the fact that food distribution is extremely unequal. There is a rich minority with an extreme surplus of food and a poor majority suffering from an extreme scarcity of it. Freegans acknowledge the fact that the world is producing enough food to feed all of the starving people in the world. They eat food waste and distribute it share it amongst those who need it most in an attempt to raise awareness of the excess that we live in and to convince people that we need to waste less and provide for those in need.
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Sdg 12: responsible consumption and production
SDG 12 focuses on resource and energy efficiency, and promotes the idea that people need to be "doing more and better with less". This idea is perfectly in line with the core principle of freeganism, which is to minimize consumption and conserve resources. The major targets of SDG 12 involve wasting less food, being energy efficient, and minimizing pollution.
Freegans adhere to all three of these ideals. Wasting less food is the most common practice of a freegan, which they demonstrate through not buying food of their own (which means there they can't buy excessive amounts of it) and through eating food that would normally have been wasted by others. Being energy efficient and minimizing pollution are also ideals that are emphasized by freegans, though it is a feature that most people do not associate with them. Most freegans choose to use eco-friendly modes of transportation like walking or biking. For those who absolutely need a car to get around, most tend to carpool or use biofuel rather than gasoline. |
Sdg 13: Climate action
Freegans work towards SDG 13 by minimizing their emissions and doing their best to live off the grid. As mentioned above, most freegans do their best to use the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation available to them, regardless of convenience, which helps reduce their carbon footprint greatly.
Additionally, the greenhouse gas emissions that result from every stage of the food supply chain are a large contributor to climate change. Freegans do their part by not supporting this chain. The convenience of having food delivered to oneself has made it an increasingly popular way of eating, but the energy inefficiency of the transportation involved and the environmentally damaging packaging that is involved means that it only serves to contribute to climate change. Freegans raise awareness of these issues and how people are consuming and investing too much into unnecessary and luxury goods and services. They also combat climate change by minimizing the methane emissions that result from all the food decomposing in landfills. |
sdg 15: life on land
SDG 15 promotes the goal of conserving resources on land like forests and supporting the biodiversity of plants and animals. Freegans support this goal through their practice of guerilla farming. Through guerilla farming freegans show that it is not necessary to cut down forests to make land for raising crops. Instead, freegans demonstrate that it is important to make use of the resources we have available to us and to show that alternatives are always possible. They show that it is possible to grow your own crops right next to you instead of needing to invest in these huge corporations that continuously cut down forests in search of more resources when there there is already such an abundance of underutilized land.
When it comes to biodiversity, many endangered animals are hunted in order to make luxury items out of their horns or pelts. Freegans advocate for the idea of spending less and only buying what is absolutely necessary. In doing so, they refuse to support the markets for such luxury items. |