HOKKAIDO, Jul. 25 – Co-op Sapporo has launched a “Hokkaido SDGs Promotion Platform” for local organizations and companies to promote the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Hokkaido. Its members are 16 entities with interest in SDGs such as agricultural cooperatives like Hokuren Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives and their business partners. They are going to gather to make studies on advanced cases and deepen their understanding of SDGs so that they can step forward to make actions.
Agricultural cooperatives are expected to play significant roles in achieving SDGs. Co-op Sapporo launched the platform to foster collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders and to implement SDGs in Hokkaido, taking advantage of its position as a bridge between producers and consumers.
The platform has “SDGs Promotion Committee” at its center, and the members of the committee are Hokuren, Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative, as well as local corporations, governments and universities. The committee will then have “SDGs Study Group” to examine actions of each member and advanced cases seen in other part of the country.
The foundation plans to have three study meetings in 2019, inviting lecturers from top runners, for example, from Shimokawa Town, Kamikawa, Hokkaido, and participants from outside the committee and representatives of Co-op Sapporo, as well.
Hideaki Ohmi, President of Co-op Sapporo and the head of the committee, mentioned food as one of the SDGs. “Producers’ involvement is indispensable in achieving SDGs, so, I expect a lot from manufacturers and producers,” he said to express the emphasis on the actions of the primary sector.
An official of a PR section of Hokuren said, “One of the SDGs is ‘life on land,’ which is closely related to agriculture. We want to implement SDGs, referring to what we learn at the study group.”