SDG 9 aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation. The goal emphasizes the importance of sustainable development in both developed and developing countries, recognizing the crucial role that innovation plays in achieving economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. By investing in sustainable infrastructure and promoting innovation, countries can create jobs, improve access to essential services, and reduce their carbon footprint.
Donau Soja Organisation
Donau Soja contributes to SDG 9 in two ways:
Firstly, Donau Soja activities supporting soya bean supplychains and valuechains are inclusive for small and
medium-sized enterprises. An important objective is to
keep the valuechain from field to plate as short as possible. This increases the added value in the region and thereby reduces food miles and emissions associated with transportation. Within the ADA Strategic Partnership programme, Donau Soja supported more than 150 small-scale enterprises and more than 13,000 farmers in Southeastern and Eastern Europe.
Secondly, by providing a platform and taking on a coordination role, Donau Soja supports research and innovation in the fields related to the production and use of soya beans. Special emphasis is given to crop improvement, breeding, farming, and processing: In the area of crop improvement, twelve soya bean breeding companies are members of Donau Soja. They actively participate in cooperative soya bean research. Donau Soja supports enterprises of the soya bean processing industry by providing a simple and low-cost access to analytical tools. In 2022, about 14 SMEs in Austria and Germany regularly used the near-infrared analytical services offered by Donau Soja in cooperation with industry partners. Test results are used to optimise processing operations and to improve the nutritional quality of soya bean products.
SDG 9: Example activities
EU-China Soya bean Research Partnership (Haberlandt Scholarship Project)
In 2015, Donau Soja signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) on behalf of European soya bean breeders. The partnership between CAAS and Donau Soja aims to support joint activities of soya bean researchers in Europe and China. Between 2018 and 2022 Donau Soja coordinated the exchange of 154 varieties of European and Chinese breeding programmes in the framework of this partnership. 27 partners contributed to the joint experiments. Exchanged genetic materials and insights contribute to 11 breeding programmes in Europe and 10 in China.
Legume Hub – Europe’s knowledge platform for legumes
The Legume Hub is a multi-lingual publication and dissemination platform featuring written, spoken and visual media in English, German, Romanian, Russian, Serbian and Ukrainian. The platform is dedicated to sharing knowledge and successful practices across value chains, from plant breeding and onfarm activities to processing and consumption. Donau Soja is providing the secretariat for the Legume Hub, building on the contributions of a growing community of legume experts across Europe. Currently, the Hub has more than 220 registered members contributing to the Hub with 290 articles and 85 videos on soya bean, faba bean, pea, lupin and lucerne. The Legume Hub is also a project platform, offering research project teams and consortia to use the Hub as platform for communication and dissemination.
