SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Find the most recent Gazette stories for this goal here.

Teaching and Learning:

• In summer 2019, Memorial University acquired the lease of an 80-acre farm in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador: the Pye Centre for Northern Boreal Food Systems. The Pye Centre is a community-led hub of Northern-focused food systems research, education, community connections, production, and distribution in Labrador, and promotes Memorial’s commitment to supporting food innovation.

Research:

• In 2019, a research team at MI researched how to use what is considered "waste" from sealife such as shrimp and sea cucumber for the food, medical, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical sectors. This research hoped to reduce waste and increase value in food processing and aquaculture.
• In 2016, a team of researchers from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science used shrimp byproduct to create an environmentally friendly dispersant to combat offshore oil spills. The project hoped to reduce industrial waste by transforming it into a useful and green product.
• Muhammad Faran, a student at Grenfell Campus, published research in 2021 on how cow manure from a local dairy farm could be used as a fertilizer instead of being wasted. As part of his research, Mr Faran used this manure as a sustainable organic fertilizer to grow lettuce in a hydroponic greenhouse.
• In 2020, a team of researchers from the Marine Institute created better ecosystem models to assess Grand Banks fish stocks. These models account for factors such as reproduction, growth, and mortality rates to help develop sustainable fisheries management plans for specific species of fish.
• Dr. Raymond Thomas and Dr. Kelly Hawboldt received nearly $15 million in funding in 2022 for a large-scale project titled Repurposing Marine By-products or Raw Materials for the Development and Production of Functional Foods and Bioactives to Improve Human Health and Coastal Community Sustainability. The project hopes to repurpose marine waste to create new products in various industries for the benefit of coastal communities.

Public Engagement:

• In 2016, a greenhouse was opened at Memorial’s community garden behind Queen’s College. Furthermore, 26 new plots were added to the garden, including an accessible plot.
• O’Brien Farm received a $10,000 donation from the Office of Public Engagement’s Accelerator Fund in 2019 to construct a demonstration model of an earth-sheltered greenhouse. This type of greenhouse is well-suited for colder climates, and the project hopes that it can help bolster food security in the province.
• In 2018, Greenspace and Seaside Apparel, businesses ran by Memorial students, took top prizes at the Social Innovation Challenge. Greenspace is an urban farming business seeking to improve food security in Newfoundland and Labrador, while Seaside Apparel uses cotton scraps and recycled plastic bottles to create ethically manufactured, low waste clothing.
• Enactus Memorial launched Project Succseed in 2021. The project uses hydroponics grow fresh and affordable produce in Rigolet year round, and hopes to expand into other northern communities in the future.

Administration:

• Memorial became a certified Fair Trade campus on September 28th, 2016, a status granted by Fairtrade Canada and the Canadian Fair Trade Network. As part of this, Memorial made a commitment to support and educate their campus about fair trade, and to uphold fairtrade standards.
• In 2016, Memorial started a composting program in the Gushue Dining Hall. Fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen are composted at Memorial's Botanical Gardens, and then used at the community garden on the St. John's campus.  
• In 2018, Aramark began a waste management program at the Gushue Dining Hall on the St. John’s campus to provide students the opportunity to divert waste from the landfill to a composting program. Ongoing waste reduction includes eliminating straws and using reusable cutlery, glass and dishware.
• In 2018, the Waste Management Committee at Grenfell introduced a large wooden box backyard composter to their composting garden to combat food waste on campus. Some of the funds for the composter came from deposit refunds on beverage container recycling.