SDG 2
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Key Stats
Progress on SDG2: measurement in tonnes of dining food waste diverted from 2020 - 2024.
Source: University of Alberta Zero Waste
2024 Research Impact
№ relevant publications: 264
№ citations: 1,523
Courses
- AREC173 - The Plate, the Planet and Society
- AREC485 - Trade and Globalization in Food and Resources
- INT D303 - Economics of World Food and Agriculture
- NU FS442 - Sustainability of Food and Bio-based Products
videos
Institutional stewardship initiatives
Campus Food Bank
Since 1991, this student-run service has provided food for thousands in the university community. They also educate clients on healthy eating, affordable shopping and cooking skills.
Dining and Food
The University of Alberta is committed to providing healthy, affordable and sustainable food options for everyone across all of its campuses.
The institution's primary dining contractor has committed to sourcing and serving more healthy, affordable, responsible and sustainable foods. This includes purchasing more local, ecological and humane foods as well as sustainable seafood and FairTrade and RainForest Alliance certified products.
Additionally, food vendors on campus offer a variety of healthy and affordable meal options that suit vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free and organic diets. A complete list of North Campus food outlets can be accessed online. Similarly, Lister Residence and Peter Lougheed Hall have a meal plan that provides residents with a variety of nutritious options. The Get the Good Stuff™ label makes healthy and balanced food choices easy to spot. The Campus Dish page provides information on food-related health and wellness
Research Institutes, centres & projects
The Agri-Food Discovery Place (AFDP)
Opened in June 2006, the AFDP pilot plant facility is part of the Agricultural Food & Nutritional Science Department (AFNS). This unique facility is the first in Canada to have a meat safety and processing research unit and solvent extraction capabilities that are housed under one roof but function as completely separate wings of the business and have separate air handling systems. The Agri-Food Discovery Place links research in food safety, agricultural technology and functional foods with industry collaborators (including local farmers and food producers) who help make agriculture more sustainable.
Dairy Research and Technology Centre
The Dairy Research and Technology Centre (DRTC) was established in 1997 as a joint venture between the University of Alberta, Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development (AAFRD) and Alberta Milk. This union brings together the resources of all partners with the vision to be Canada's leading centre for excellence in dairy research, teaching and technology transfer. The DRTC’s mission is to develop knowledge and technologies which ensure the growth and sustainability of the Canadian dairy industry. The primary objectives of the DRTC are to:
1) Conduct research with a focus on:
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optimizing production efficiency and sustainability
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enhancing the nutritional quality of milk and value-added processing
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enriching and extracting milk components that are beneficial for human health
2) Maintain excellence in teaching dairy nutrition, digestive physiology, production management, and milk and dairy product processing
3) Transfer information and technology to stakeholders in the dairy industry (including local farmers and food producers)