Goal #2 Zero Hunger | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

With 1 in 4 students skipping meals due to financial hardship, Arc's Food Hub received 62,846 visits and provided students with 188,000+ meals in 2023.

70,000

fish farms to increase protein intake

UNSW researchers and partners have helped expand the number of small-scale fish farms in Papua New Guinea from 11,000 in 2009 to 70,000 in 2023.

$5-10

campus meal deals

UNSW's Good Food Charter sets out principles for campus retailers including offering a daily nutritious and affordable meal deals.

In this video, A/Prof Jayashree Arcot, Prof Johannes Le Coutre and Dr Sophia Lin break down some of the key challenges behind SDG #2.

3rd

for SDG 2 in Australia

UNSW ranked third in Australia for SDG 2 in the 2024 THE Impact Rankings.

Our work

Improving food security in Walgett

In the remote Australian town of Walgett, 46% of people experience food insecurity, a much higher rate than the national average. UNSW is working in partnership with the Dharriwaa Elders Group (DEG) and the community to strengthen community-led food security initiatives in the area, including a locally run community garden.

Producing protein and empowering communities in PNG

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), malnutrition is a silent killer of children and adults. To improve protein intake, UNSW researchers and partners have helped expand the number of small-scale fish farms from 11,000 in 2009 to 70,000 in 2023.

Working with rice-shrimp farmers in Vietnam

Climate change and growing pressure on soil and water resources in the Mekong Delta are challenging rice and shrimp farmers. UNSW’s partners in Vietnam work with farmers to test and adopt new technologies to increase rice, shrimp, prawn and crab production. The project has also helped increase the number of women rice-shrimp farmers.

188,000+ meals provided by Arc Food Hub

With one in four university students skipping meals due to financial hardship, Arc’s Food Hub provides groceries to UNSW students, and received 62,846 visits in 2023. Over 90% of Food Hub services were provided to international students and Arc averages 250-350 students per session.

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Centres, institutes and partnerships

UNSW Insitute for Global Development

The UNSW Institute for Global Development and its collaborators lead projects to improve food and income security, creating livelihood options and building technical and farming capacity for local farmers.

Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre

UNSW is a research partner at Future Food Systems - a centre committed to bringing Australia into a new era of high technology food production, transforming one of our most important industries and reinforcing our place as a major world food producer.

Community Food Gardens

This UNSW Global Water Institute and Yuwaya Ngarra-li partnership collaborates with Dharriwaa Elders Group and Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service on community gardens, among other initiatives for the community, to develop food security knowledge and skills and access to technology to enhance food production by the local Aboriginal community.

Improving technologies for inland aquaculture in Papua New Guinea

The improving technologies for aquaculture in Papua New Guinea (PNG) project, led by Associate Professor Jes Sammut from UNSW Science, ran from May 2015 to May 2021. A/Prof Sammut has worked in the Asia-Pacific Region for over 25 years with a focus on improving aquaculture to increase fish, shrimp and lobster production. 

In 2023, A/Prof Jes Sammut received more than $2.6 million from the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research for a project that will build on previous work to improve fish farming in PNG.

Passionate about providing sustainable livelihoods to people across the Asia-Pacific, Jes is actively engaged in a range of aquaculture initiatives from Vietnam to PNG, which have proved transformative in solving issues of malnutrition, and economic hardship, as well as sustaining positive social impact.

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World Food Day 2024

UNSW hosted this expert-led, online forum which brought together diverse perspectives to share ideas on global food system innovation, aligning with the Food and Agriculture Organization's slogan, "Leave no one behind". The forum featured four presentations by highly accomplished experts in the field from around the world, followed by an open panel discussion.

Disrupting the food chain

UNSW Business School hosted this podcast exploring how emerging technologies can make food supply less damaging to the environment and more robust. It featured UNSW graduate Pablo Quintero, from Vow, a company that grows meat from animal cells.

The Future of Food

In this talk, food and health expert Johannes le Coutre joins journalist Joanna Savill as they explore the future of food. As we take our first tentative steps into the paradigm shifting world of lab-grown and no-kill meat, will 21st century science save the day, or are the solutions to our biggest problems a combination of the old and the new?

Nutrition, health and food degrees

UNSW offers a Bachelor of Nutrition/Master of Dietetics and Food Innovation, which sees students graduate as accredited dietitians and gain a comprehensive education in nutrition. The degree supports career possibilities in health and non-health-related industries with a unique combination of interdisciplinary courses ranging from agriculture to inclusive eating practices.

UNSW Chemical Engineering Food and Health Cluster

The Food and Health Cluster is committed to driving innovation in the interconnected research areas of health, food process engineering and sustainability and leading researchers are delivering real-world impact in Food Science, Nutrition and Engineering.

Food initiatives on campus

UNSW Urban Growers

A cross-faculty working group of staff and students dedicated to creating food growing space on campus for local food production, hands-on practical classes, restorative community action and opportunities for food related research.

The Producers

The Producers are a volunteer-based group dedicated to planting, maintaining and harvesting produce, and promoting sustainability on campus.

They look after the Urban Garden at the Village Green, a community-run garden where the UNSW community grow fresh fruit and vegetables.

Good Food Charter

The Good Food Charter supports the UNSW community of students, staff, retailers and catering services to improve access to nutritious and affordable food on campus. It was developed by the UNSW Health Promotions Unit, UNSW Wellbeing, The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Estate Management and Arc Student Life.

UNSW Sustainable Development Goals 2023 Report

This report outlines UNSW's performance against the SDGs in 2023.

Download

The Financial Inclusion Action Plan

The FIAP focuses on areas including providing products and services that provide financial education, support to all students and assistance to those facing financial hardship.

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Staff Hardship Fund

UNSW has a dedicated Staff Hardship Fund. Financial assistance can be granted to assist with immediate and essential expenses including bills or rent, temporary accommodation or food insecurity

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SDG 2: Zero Hunger