Norges Vel and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are the world's joint working plan for ending poverty, fighting inequality and stopping climate change by 2030. Norges Vel contributes to the sustainable development goals through our efforts to pursue sustainable, nature-based economic development.

At the international level, Norges Vel contributes to this work through our involvement in a number of developing countries, first and foremost, in Eastern and Southern Africa. Our work is geared towards sustainable development goals 2, 8 and 17, in particular.

Goal 2: End hunger

Norges Vel strives to promote sustainable agriculture and food production that will give more people the opportunity to eat wholesome, nutritious food. Most farmers in developing countries are poor, smallholders. Through our projects in Africa, Norges Vel contributes to better, more efficient organisation of the farmers and their small-scale production. This is an important aspect of the efforts required to meet the global demand for food in future.

A sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sector is crucial to global food safety and nutrition. By helping to establish sustainable organisations for fish farming, Norges Vel is contributing to food safety, local economic development and the reduction of poverty in local communities.

Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth

The paramount objective for Norges Vel's international work is to reduce poverty by contributing to local economic growth through economic development. We primarily target women and men who make their living from agriculture and marine resources. This includes smallholders, small farmers, entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

We help ensure that local communities increase their revenues and create jobs by using their local natural resources in a sustainable, climate-friendly way.

The organisation of small-scale rice producers in Tanzania is a prime example. The project has brought good results. By adding to their knowledge and cooperating, the farmers impact larger segments of the value chain, and they gain access to financing. The productivity as well as the incomes of the individual farmer have increased, at the same time as production has become more environment-friendly than before.

Goal 17: Partnership for the goals

Engaging in responsible partnership and building strong alliances are decisive to the future of development cooperation. Norges Vel is an active, committed partner that wishes to combine its energies and expertise with those of the organisations and people with whom we enter into partnerships.

Norges Vel's partners are of different sizes and structures. Some are long-term development partners, while others are commercial players that bring with them technical expertise and market access. These partners are decisive for the development of local businesses and smallholders. One important role for Norges Vel is to ensure that partners' commercial interests do not conflict with those of the producers, i.e. our target group.

In addition, various projects contribute to one or more of these sustainable development goals:

Goal 1: No poverty

Many farmers in developing countries are struggling to escape from poverty. Productivity is often low, and these farmers are extremely vulnerable to climate change and more unstable weather. Market access is limited, and it is often difficult to get the loans needed to buy the necessary factor inputs, among other things. Norges Vel's efforts to organise small-scale production in several African countries help improve food production and boost earnings for the producers.

Goal 5: Gender equality

In all Norges Vel's projects, we encourage women and men to participate in activities on an equal footing. We also help formalise women's ownership and management in all parts of the value chain. Norges Vel is especially focussed on building up women's expertise.

Goal 7: Clean energy for all

In Tanzania, Norges Vel's main partner in Africa, only 10 per cent of the population have access to electrical power. Norges Vel's work with renewable energy takes local demand as well as global challenges into account. Among other things, we work with bioenergy and the utilisation of waste from agriculture to generate environment-friendly energy. These efforts result in synergies between agriculture and the environment.

Goal 13: Stop climate change

Norges Vel's work is important in the face of some of the most serious challenges of our time, such as climatic change, poverty and energy shortages. We believe it is decisive to view these challenges as related. We help ensure that local communities increase their revenues and create more jobs through the sustainable, climate-friendly use of local natural resources.

Goal 14: Life below water

Sustainable fish farming is becoming increasingly important in a world characterised by climate change and growing demand for food production. Fish farming can also help mitigate overfishing in the ocean. Norges Vel's work with sustainable aquaculture contributes to more nutritious food, economic growth and the creation of new jobs in many countries.

For further information, see the UN's Sustainable Development Goals