SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)
SDGs
Japanese: SDGs（持続可能な開発目標）
Seventeen sustainable development goals adopted by the UN in 2015. Fermentation technology can contribute to multiple goals, from food waste reduction to bioenergy.
Fermentation connects with multiple SDGs. Extending food shelf life reduces food loss (Goal 12). Methane fermentation converts organic waste into energy (Goal 7). Microbial soil improvement supports sustainable agriculture (Goal 2). Small-scale fermented food production contributes to local economies (Goal 8). This ancient yet modern technology holds surprisingly many possibilities for building a sustainable society. Fermentation's multifaceted value is being re-recognized in the modern context of SDGs. A technology continuing for millennia contains answers to contemporary challenges—therein lies fermentation's universality.