Global sustainable development action programme for the administrative branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

The 2030 Agenda emphasises that the means of implementing the goals are as important as the goals themselves. The Agenda calls for multidimensional cooperation and partnerships between the different countries, actors and citizens, active exchange of information and experiences, policy coherence, and sharing of best practices. 

Work in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is guided by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We engage in comprehensive work to promote sustainable development and ensure a balance between social, ecological and cultural sustainability. The overarching objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to make the world a better place for us all. We can achieve this by better integrating the perspectives of society, the environment and the economy.

Common task of the administrative branch: to implement and develop a responsible food system and sustainable natural resources economy

Drivers of change: climate change, rapid technological development, competition for increasingly scarce natural resources, the changing face of global economy, changes in values and attitudes, changing demographics and urbanisation

We need sustainable solutions so that the bioeconomy and circular economy can help to reduce the consumption of non-renewable raw materials and energy and secure the availability of clean food and water, while enabling diverse business activity and a thriving countryside.

Collaboration across sectoral boundaries

All SDGs are interlinked. Linkages abound especially between SDGs associated with water, food, energy and forestry. The MMM looks at the big picture and seeks synergistic actions while avoiding actions that hamper the attainment of other goals. Measures related to food, forests, energy and water all affect one another either directly or indirectly. The Nexus approach makes it possible to examine these interdependencies holistically, which helps us to create sustainable solutions for the natural resource economy.

Finland has many existing measures and structures in place on which the implementation of the Agenda can be built. New ideas and practices are, however, required, because the challenges related to sustainable development cannot be solved by applying only the old practices. Public financing is not enough to fund the measures and investments needed to tackle our sustainability challenges. When it comes to both financing and other themes, the overarching idea of the action programme is the interdependence of global challenges and the comprehensive nature of the solutions adopted.

Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development