The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as SDGs, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to promote peace and prosperity for people and the planet.
Nowadays, people are highly aware of SDGs to maintain sustainability. These goals are integrated into various programs and projects, such as agricultural and medical research, via different approaches. So, it is crucial for us to consider what can we do via the project to promote sustainability in the global community.
Throughout our project, we keep sustainable development goals in mind and try to create a sustainable community for the future. Our project hit several particular goals-Goal 2 End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture: Goal 8. To promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth; Goal 15. To protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt the loss of biodiversity.
In July, we interviewed Dr. Qin, Mr. Yang, and Mr. Wang, who are graduates and doctors from Shenzhen University and major in bioengineering. They believed that our organic fertilizer with Oligosaccharides could work as a “vaccine”, which can promote crop growing, productivity, drought resistance, and anti-virus capability. Therefore, our organic fertilizer is potentially the most efficient fertilizer in the organic fertilizer industry.
Brown algae oligosaccharides can promote nutrient absorption, activate enzymes related to growth and development, promote chloroplast absorption and transformation of light energy, accelerate the process of carbon and nitrogen metabolism, promote root growth and nutrient absorption, and ultimately show increased yield and improved quality.
Increasing the proportion of algal fertilizer using algin oligosaccharides as raw materials can also prevent environmental problems such as soil compaction, acidification, soil erosion, and water eutrophication caused by excessive use of chemical fertilizers, and protect land resources.
These characteristics make algin lyase have a wide application prospect in the field of fertilizer and can be used as an effective biofertilizer to improve the growth quality and yield of crops, so as to maintain food security and promote sustainable development of agriculture.
By enhancing crop yields, promoting nutrient absorption, and mitigating the environmental issues associated with chemical fertilizers, our innovative organic fertilizer offers a path toward more sustainable food production. This not only aligns with the aim of goal 2 but also underscores the crucial role that sustainable agriculture and responsible fertilizer use play in addressing the pressing challenge of hunger and malnutrition worldwide, once it applies to the market.
Through the questionnaire survey on SDGs and potential economic benefits, we found that people are now generally aware of sustainability and consciously promote sustainability in their shopping and choices. Some interviewees believe that if they see relatively more environmentally friendly organic fertilizers on the market, they will not hesitate to choose. It can be seen that our country's sustainable publicity is still very much in place, and the general public has at least basic environmental awareness.
The production of brown algae extract usually requires a large number of manpower and technology, including Marine resource collection workers, extraction technical operators, product processing workers, and sales personnel. The creation of these jobs is crucial to the development of local economies, especially in coastal areas, which often face a lack of economic opportunities.
In addition, the production of brown algae extract also has a positive role in promoting the development of related industrial chains. It needs to involve a series of links from the development, collection, extraction, and processing to sales of Marine resources, and each link will create corresponding employment opportunities. Supporting and developing the brown algae extract industry, can further stabilize and expand the related industrial chain, increase employment opportunities, and promote economic growth.
With a further visit to a local farm in China, we adjusted our business plan which is related to economic development. Based on the detailed information, we knew that we needed to further collaborate with the government to lower the price, so our fertilizer could become competitive in the market and then promote economic growth.
Our product, oligosaccharide-based fertilizer, underscores the interconnectedness of sustainability, economic development, and environmental awareness, highlighting the potential for aligning business practices with Sustainable Development Goals to drive positive change and promote both social and economic well-being.
The frequent use of common chemical fertilizers will cause land degradation, and soil compaction, resulting in a shortage of land resources, and the destruction of ecosystems. In response, members of our team thought of algin in kelp. The biofertilizer of algin extracted from the inedible part of kelp can not only stop and reverse land degradation to a large extent but also protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. With these environmentally friendly properties, oligosaccharide-based fertilizers are more efficient than conventional chemical fertilizers.
We met with Mr. Douglas Ferreira, discussing the current global warming problems and land overexploitation issues. Mr. Douglas Ferreira is currently working directly with the government and economic planning in Brazil. He has been focusing and searching a lot on green transformation and green economics.
He claimed that the problem that most Brazilian farmers are facing is soil burn, which is caused by misuse of mineral fertilizers. Farmers are trying to minimize the cost and maximize their income by producing their crops as fast as they can. Therefore, they will use a lot of mineral fertilizers. For example, NPK which stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, is widely used in Brazil.
Moreover, biodiversity underneath the soil is disrupted using mineral fertilizers. There are a lot of bacteria and fungi living under the soil, and they play an important role in keeping the soil alive and helping the plants absorb ingredients from the soil. Not only the soil will be highly affected, but the underground water will also become overly acidic and will be full of those mineral ingredients lacking other micro ingredients. Additionally, the crop cycle is being fastened by a very dense amount of mineral ingredients.
The Brazilian government now is aware of this situation and is trying to develop an organic fertilizer industry. In the long run, organic fertilizer, like our product AOS fertilizer, is more environmentally friendly and is more likely to maintain the sustainability of the ecosystems.
Indeed, there is an urgency to adopt eco-friendly fertilizers to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of conventional mineral fertilizers. The transition connects with goal 15 and demonstrates a commitment to sustainable agricultural practices and ecosystem preservation.
Through our overall activities and project, we devoted ourselves to contributing to SDG goal 2, goal 8, and goal 15. Oligosaccharide-based fertilizer stands at the intersection of agricultural innovation, environmental sustainability, and societal well-being by integrating bio-engineering techniques.
Our engagement with experts, such as Mr. Douglas Ferreira, stresses the global ramifications of mineral fertilizer misuse and emphasizes the potential for bioengineering to reshape the agricultural landscape. Bioengineering technique, one of the most advanced technologies across the world, can support and amplify these initiatives, including Brazil's pursuit of an organic fertilizer industry.
Nevertheless, our journey toward a more sustainable society is far from over. To further introduce bioengineering techniques into the agricultural field and to bolster our influence on society, we still need to continue raising awareness of bioengineering advancements in public through social media and conferences, to collaborate with policymakers and industry leaders to advocate for the bioengineered eco-friendly fertilizers into sustainable agriculture practices and to continue our unwavering commitment to sustainable practices.
By incorporating bioengineering techniques into our project in the long run, we are not only just promoting agricultural development, but also cultivating a more sustainable and prosperous world for future generations.