Sustainable Development Goals at our University
In 2019, we signed the University Commitment which recognises the significant scope of work needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the important role university communities play in reaching these goals. We are committed to sustainability for ourselves, our surrounding communities, and the world.
The SDGs offer a shared framework for all levels of government, businesses, community groups and education organisations to prioritise action between 2015 to 2030, across environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.
How we measure our impact for the SDGs
We use the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings (previously Impact Rankings) and other frameworks, such as the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS), to measure our progress towards sustainability. The THE Impact Ratings aim to evaluate university performance in relation to the SDGs.
SDG2 Zero Hunger
Zero Hunger aims to provide safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all through transforming agriculture and food systems to be more inclusive and sustainable, providing social protection for vulnerable persons and reducing food waste.
The University partners with government, business and community to encourage sustainable food production, improve delivery to and connection with markets. We support research into sustainable and innovative food production, while increasing the skills and employability of people in the rural sector. We actively explore approaches to enhance food security by addressing social inequities through on-campus programs and activities to allow access to food and through education to increase health literacy, climate change mitigation and adaptation in food systems, and supply chain management in agribusiness.
Campus food waste
Campus food waste tracking
https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1233446/Waste-infographic.pdf
Student hunger
Student food insecurity and hunger
Students hunger interventions
Sustainable, healthy and affordable food choices
The University of Tasmania has developed a University position on sustainable food on campus, including eight sustainable Food Strategic Principles. Principle 4 (Prioritise suppliers with health, nutrition and sustainability initiatives) and Principle 6 (Outlets will (…) meet student affordability) directly address the provision of healthy and affordable food choices by all food outlets on campus.
Furthermore, the University recognises the need for a planned transition to more healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems for our students and staff across our campuses using a rights-based approach. The Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Food Strategic Plan 2023-2028 provides collective actions required to support informed and strategic decisions to achieve this goal and reduce food insecurity among students and staff by providing healthy and affordable food on campus. The Plan covers nine priority areas. These areas are not mutually exclusive, but are interconnected and overlapping, and should be seen and acted on collectively. The most relevant priority areas in relation to healthy and affordable food include:
- Priority 1: Food security and social justice recognises that campuses must provide healthy food environments and access to affordable food.
- Priority 4: Urban agriculture and edible campuses recognises the beneficial social impacts of urban agriculture and supports the food community gardens on campus.
- Priority 5: Food procurement, commercial and social enterprises supports on-campus outlets to ensure the sale of healthy, affordable and sustainable food is commercially viable for them
All campus outlets are required to follow the University’s Food Strategic Principles and address the relevant Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Food Strategic Plan priority areas. Hence, the University is proud to support a number of local Tasmanian food businesses on campus that are committed to provide local, fresh and sustainable food, including sustainably or ethically produced food products and vegetarian options in all outlets (with most outlets also offering vegan, gluten free and dairy free options). These food vendors are also committed to low cost and healthy meal options across all campuses and offer nutritional daily specials to provide affordable choices for students. Additionally, some campus food outlets regularly procure vegetables and herbs grown in the University food gardens and orchards in exchange for food vouchers for students.
A great example of the University’s commitment to providing sustainable, healthy and affordable food is the Source Eco Hub cooperative. Source is a University food outlet, although different from typical commercial food services, located on the Sandy Bay campus. Source is a community garden, kitchen and café that has succeeded in providing staff and students, as well as members of the community, with access to food that is ethical, local, organic, wholesome, vegetarian, good for the body and affordable. Source is a real place for the community to get a taste of what a sustainable food system is, with dishes being mostly sourced by produce from the garden, as well as building strong community networks. Source is run by members and volunteers to provide low cost and some ‘pay what you can’ meal options.
Staff hunger interventions
The University of Tasmania recognises that food insecurity can affect both students and staff and has adopted a whole-of-institution approach to improving access to affordable, nutritious and sustainable food across its campuses. In 2025, the University continued implementing actions under its Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Food Strategic Plan 2023–2028, which specifically seeks to strengthen food security and reduce food insecurity among both students and staff. The Plan includes actions relating to food security and social justice, community partnerships, sustainable food systems, and improved access to healthy food options across University campuses.
The University's commitment is informed by ongoing monitoring of food security within its community. University-led research and sustainability surveys have identified that food insecurity can affect professional and academic staff, particularly those in more vulnerable employment situations. Findings from the University's food security research have been used to inform institutional responses and the development of more equitable food systems on campus.
To address these challenges, the University promotes access to affordable and nutritious food through campus food initiatives and food-system planning. The Healthy, Sustainable, and Equitable Food Strategic Plan adopts a rights-based approach that seeks to ensure staff and students can access healthy food while building knowledge and skills relating to food production, preparation and sustainability. The University's sustainability framework also recognises its responsibility to support healthy and equitable food systems that contribute to community wellbeing.
In addition, University staff can access a range of wellbeing and support services that help reduce the impacts of financial hardship and cost-of-living pressures. Through the University's wellbeing programs and Employee Assistance Program, staff have access to counselling, lifestyle support and other wellbeing services that help address broader circumstances that can contribute to food insecurity and financial stress.
By combining evidence-based planning, ongoing monitoring of food insecurity, access to affordable food initiatives and staff wellbeing support services, the University of Tasmania continues to implement interventions that help prevent and alleviate hunger among staff while promoting a healthier, more equitable campus environment in 2025.
National hunger
Access to food security and sustainable agriculture and aquaculture knowledge
The University of Tasmania provides extensive knowledge, skills and technologies to local farmers, aquaculture operators and food producers to support food security, sustainable food production and climate-resilient agriculture and aquaculture systems. Through specialist research institutes such as the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) and the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), the University delivers industry-focused research, training, extension activities and publicly accessible resources that promote sustainable agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries management.
For example, the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre produces research, reports and technical resources annually that support the sustainable management of Tasmania's marine resources for the benefit of the broader community. These reports are publicly available from the IMAS Publications webpage, and cover topics including sustainable fisheries management, aquaculture development, marine ecosystem health, stock assessments, seaweed aquaculture and the conservation of vulnerable marine species (e.g., Planning for seaweed aquaculture in Tasmania: A preliminary evaluation of biophysical potential and co-location with existing aquaculture; Movement, habitat utilisation and population status of the endangered Maugean skate and implications for fishing and aquaculture operations in Macquarie Harbour; Abalone Aquaculture Subprogram - The commercial control of spawning in temperate Abalone; Managing inshore stocks of Southern Rock Lobster for sustainable fishery). This research supports local farmers and food producers, and informs industry practice and government decision-making, helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of wild fisheries and aquaculture industries in Tasmania.
Likewise, the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) is the University's specialist agricultural institute with a mandate to deliver research, industry development and education for Tasmania's agriculture and food sectors. The Institute provides farmers and food producers with access to research expertise, demonstration farms, technical resources, field trials, fact sheets, decision-support tools and industry training opportunities. Through co-designed research, industry partnerships and education programs, TIA supports resilient farming systems that are both economically productive and environmentally sustainable.
In 2025, TIA continued its long-running program of industry engagement through the annual Forthside Field Day at the Vegetable Research Facility in north-west Tasmania. The free event provides farmers, agricultural advisers and industry professionals with access to the latest research findings, field demonstrations and practical information on horticultural production and innovation. The 2025 program included presentations and discussions on irrigation management, pest and disease control, biosecurity and sustainable farming practices, together with guided tours of research trials being undertaken on the farm.
TIA also continued to support agricultural innovation through research programs focused on improving farm productivity while reducing environmental impacts. Examples include work on drought-resilient farming systems, sustainable fertiliser management, soil health, greenhouse gas emissions reduction and precision agriculture technologies. These initiatives help local producers adapt to changing climatic conditions while maintaining long-term farm viability and food production.
Through the activities of IMAS and TIA, the University of Tasmania continues to provide local food producers with access to cutting-edge research, training and technology that support food security and the sustainable production of food in Tasmania and beyond.
Events for local farmers and food producers
The University of Tasmania's Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) delivers research, industry development and education to support sustainable agriculture and food production in Tasmania. As part of its commitment to advancing productive, resilient and environmentally sustainable farming systems, TIA regularly delivers events including training opportunities, field days, workshops and forums that enable farmers, food producers, advisers and industry stakeholders to share knowledge, build skills and engage directly with researchers.
Some examples from 2025 include:
- The Field Days program (ongoing) is a TIA flagship program providing free annual events conducted in their dairy and vegetable farms, which provides an opportunity for people working in the Tasmania’s agriculture industry to come together and share knowledge. Field Days include short research updates with opportunities for attendees to ask questions, a Q&A with local growers, networking opportunities at an industry expo, and an opportunity to walk around the farm to view current trials. For example, in 2024 the Forthside Vegetable Research Facility Field Day included topics such as managing disease and weeds in horticultural crops, agricultural technology developments, improving soil health, and growing value from irrigation. Likewise, the 2025 Dairy Research Facility Field Day covered topics related to virtual fencing technology, dairy business benchmarking, reducing livestock emissions, and a natural capital accounting demo.
- The TIA Future Forum series, delivered in collaboration with the Australian Association of Animal Sciences (AAAS) VIC/TAS Branch, provides a platform for farmers and food producers to explore emerging agricultural issues. The 2025 Nitrogen Efficiency in Dairy Systems forum examined practical strategies to improve nitrogen use efficiency in both pasture-based and intensive farming systems. Participants explored approaches that can improve productivity while reducing environmental impacts associated with nutrient losses.
- TIA continues to support agricultural knowledge exchange through its extensive online resource library. Farmers, advisers and food producers have free access to fact sheets, reports, tools, calculators and research outputs covering topics such as fertiliser management, drought resilience, soil health, livestock production, regenerative agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. These resources help producers adopt evidence-based practices and strengthen the sustainability of agricultural enterprises.
- Through its research farms at Forthside and Elliott, TIA provides opportunities for producers to observe commercial-scale trials and demonstrations focused on productivity, climate resilience, emissions reduction and sustainable farm management. These facilities support ongoing collaboration between researchers and industry to address real-world agricultural challenges.
Through these events, resources and industry partnerships, the University of Tasmania continues to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building for local farmers and food producers, supporting sustainable agriculture, food security and climate-resilient farming systems in Tasmania.
University access to local farmers and food producers
https://www.utas.edu.au/tia/research/smart-farms
Sustainable food purchases
https://www.utas.edu.au/about/sustainability/facilities-and-operations/food-and-gardens