Tourism can spur sustainable agriculture, and its full integration in the tourism value chain, by promoting the sustainable production and supplies of food and beverages to accommodation establishments, sales of local products to tourists, and many more. Agritourism can generate additional income while enhancing the value of the tourism experience and the mechanism whereby tourists’ consumption improves local farmers capacity and promotes it. The infrastructure needed for the development of tourism would also contribute to a stable food supply in the region.
There are four targets within SDG 2 that are deemed to have a stronger and direct link for tourism to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutirtion and promote sustainable agriculture. These targets have been selected to base the potential project indicators
TARGET 2.1
BY 2030, END HUNGER AND ENSURE ACCESS BY ALL PEOPLE, IN PARTICULAR THE POOR AND PEOPLE IN VULNERABLE SITUATIONS, INCLUDING INFANTS, TO SAFE, NUTRITIOUS AND SUFFICIENT FOOD ALL YEAR ROUND.
Tourism is well positioned to improve access to food for the population. Tourism facilitates the need for more agricultural production to supply local eating establishments and visitors. It can create and diversify demand and provide support for food production, job creation and intersectoral economic growth, which in turn, would contribute to improved access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all (see SDGs 1 and 8 and Target 2.3) Agritourism can be seen to educate travellers and generate additional income for agricultural production communities. Tourism may also indirectly improve access to food for the poor and people in vulnerable groups, for example through zero waste initiatives and support for distribution to soup kitchens, food banks or similar, which welcome those in need or at risk of social exclusion.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme
Food safety and security/ Food access
Tourism value chain / Tourism products
Ecosystem / Natural and cultural heritage
Partnerships/ Public-private partnerships
Education and training / Awareness raising
Education and training / Capacity building
TARGET 2.3
BY 2030, DOUBLE THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND INCOMES OF SMALL-SCALE FOOD PRODUCERS, IN PARTICULAR WOMEN, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, FAMILY FARMERS, PASTORALISTS AND FISHERS, INCLUDING THROUGH SECURE AND EQUAL ACCESS TO LAND, OTHER PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES AND INPUTS, KNOWLEDGE, FINANCIAL SERVICES, MARKETS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR VALUE ADDITION AND NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT
Target 2.3 recognizes the potential of millions of different small-scale food producers around the world to lift their communities out of poverty while protecting the ecosystem that surrounds them. This target supports their empowerment and the improvement of their livelihoods. Tourism development can contribute to this target by providing an enabling and supportive environment to provide knowledge, productive resources, opportunities, etc. for all small food producers to grow/produce nutritious food by adapting responsible agricultural practices. This allows them to provide income for their family by selling produce to different buyers, including tourism enterprises, giving opportunities for local agriculture to meet the needs of tourist’s food consumption. Additionally, this may reduce food loss as what could be surplus of raw materials can be used for new processed products and using local produce would also shorten the supply chains and lower carbon footprint.
All small-scale food producers have the opportunity to increase income through the tourism value chain by taking advantage of the growth of local tourism. They will be able to integrate their production and add value in line with current market needs. Food production also has great potential to create employment in non-agricultural jobs such as manufacturing, construction, transport, etc.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme
Education and training / Capacity building
Financing / Access to finance
Business development / MSMEs
Tourism value chain / Sustainable procurement
Tourism value chain / Tourism operations
TARGET 2.4
BY 2030, ENSURE SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND IMPLEMENT RESILIENT AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THAT INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND PRODUCTION, THAT HELP MAINTAIN ECOSYSTEMS, THAT STRENGTHEN CAPACITY FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE, EXTREME WEATHER, DROUGHT, FLOODING AND OTHER DISASTERS AND THAT PROGRESSIVELY IMPROVE LAND AND SOIL QUALITY
This target stresses the seriousness of the impacts of climate change on agriculture and rural communities, where adaptation to climate change has become inevitable, especially for farmers in the food production system. Tourism development can influence farmers to have a more forward-thinking strategy, incorporating technology in order to ensure crop availability through planned crop planning, which may lead to securing contracts from tourism businesses like hotels and restaurants by securing long-season supply. Furthermore, agritourism can be a way for farmers to diversify their income as well as reducing risks.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme
Local economic development / Local products
Education and training / Capacity building
TARGET 2.a
INCREASE INVESTMENT, INCLUDING THROUGH ENHANCED INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, IN RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANT AND LIVESTOCK GENE BANKS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, IN PARTICULAR LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.
A number of developing countries, in particular least developed countries, lack the productive capacity to sustain the tourism sector because of the incapacity of local agriculture to meet the increasing diversified demand for quality produce and provide consistent supply of produce which is required for working tourism businesses. Target 2.a calls for increased investment, including through international cooperation to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries particularly LDCs. In this regard, tourism acts as a vehicle for economic diversification and a major employment engine with a multiplier effect on other sectors that contribute to rural development.
Tourism development, for example, in rural tourism, can foster close coordination between tourism stakeholders in the value chain, including restaurants, logistics, food manufacturers, caterers and local governments including Destination Management Organisations (DMO) to enhance agricultural productive capacity by bringing in new technologies and infrastructure to the value chain which would increase sustainable production while meeting the demand of the tourism sector and at the same time improve the nutrition of local residents and diversifying domestic agriculture through development of rural infrastructure. Stakeholders’ cooperation is important to understand tourists needs in order to maintain the diversity of agriculture in the region. Notably, the protection of local flora and fauna ecosystems may require limiting tourism demand. In this regard, local Governments and DMOs should take a proactive role to adjust legal frameworks accordingly.
Potential indicators in this target are grouped by the following Theme and sub-theme
Partnerships / Public private partnerships
Education and training / Capacity building
Financing / Access to finance
