Report on Cleanfarms’ Initiative to Advance Sustainable Development Goals Through a Circular Economy in Canadian Agriculture

Introduction

On September 12, 2025, the agricultural industry stewardship organization Cleanfarms released a white paper titled, Circular Economy for Canadian Agriculture—Better for Business, Better for Canada. The document presents a strategic framework for transitioning Canada’s agricultural sector from a linear production model to a circular economy. This initiative directly supports the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting sustainable practices, innovation, and responsible resource management, particularly concerning agricultural plastics.

Alignment with SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The white paper’s core proposal is fundamentally aligned with SDG 12, which aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. By advocating for a move away from the traditional “take-make-dispose” model, Cleanfarms addresses key targets within this goal.

• Waste Reduction (Target 12.5): The primary objective is to substantially reduce waste generation by creating closed-loop systems for agricultural plastics. The report emphasizes recycling methods described as “Bottle to bottle, bale to bale, bag to bag.”
• Sustainable Management of Resources (Target 12.2): The initiative promotes the efficient use of natural resources by treating used plastics not as waste but as a valuable input for new products, thereby closing the gap in the circular economy value chain.
• Environmentally Sound Management (Target 12.4): The paper builds on three decades of environmental stewardship in Canadian agriculture, advocating for methods that minimize the adverse environmental impact of agricultural materials throughout their life cycle.

Contribution to SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The transition to a circular economy is presented as both a challenge and a significant opportunity for innovation, directly contributing to SDG 9. The report calls for the agricultural sector to embrace new technologies and methodologies to build resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

1. Adoption of Clean Technologies: The white paper encourages Canadian businesses to become “wise adopters of innovative technologies and methods” to enhance recycling and resource recovery processes.
2. Increased Resource-Use Efficiency: The circular approach is positioned as a driver for boosting operational efficiency, a key component of sustainable industrialization (Target 9.4).
3. Economic and Business Development: The document makes an evidence-based case that circularity can “spark new profitability,” demonstrating how sustainable practices can foster economic growth and create new business opportunities within the green economy, which also supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Fostering SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Cleanfarms’ initiative underscores the importance of collaboration, a central tenet of SDG 17. The white paper is not a unilateral directive but an invitation for a “bold new conversation” among all stakeholders in the Canadian agricultural sector.

• Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: The success of a circular economy hinges on the collective action of businesses, industry groups, government, and consumers working together.
• Industry-Led Stewardship: As an organization funded by members across multiple agricultural industries, Cleanfarms exemplifies a partnership model dedicated to achieving common sustainability objectives. The white paper serves to broaden this collaborative effort to advance Canada’s national sustainability agenda.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The article discusses the need for Canadian businesses in the agricultural sector to “fully leverage innovation” and adopt “innovative technologies and methods.” This directly connects to SDG 9’s goal of fostering innovation and promoting sustainable industrialization by upgrading industries to be more efficient and environmentally sound.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• This is the most central SDG to the article. The entire premise of the white paper is to advocate for a transition from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a “circular economy.” This directly addresses the core principle of SDG 12, which is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by reducing waste and promoting recycling and reuse. The article explicitly mentions “recovering and recycling agricultural and related industry plastics, packaging and products.”

SDG 13: Climate Action

• While not explicitly named, the article’s focus on creating a “healthier environment,” a “sustainable future,” and doing what is “good for the planet” implies a connection to climate action. Shifting to a circular economy, especially for plastics, reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with virgin material production and waste management, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. The white paper itself serves as an educational tool to raise awareness, which aligns with building capacity for climate action.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article highlights the collaborative nature of Cleanfarms, which is described as an “agricultural industry stewardship organization” funded by its members across various industries. The call for a “bold new conversation” and the statement that the future “hinges on all of us being wise adopters” to “get there together” emphasizes the need for partnerships among businesses and industry stakeholders to achieve sustainability goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. The article’s call to “adopt a more sustainable, circular approach” and use “innovative technologies and methods to boost efficiency” directly supports this target.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The concept of a circular economy is fundamentally about the sustainable and efficient management of resources by keeping materials in use for as long as possible.
• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. The article’s focus on “recovering and recycling agricultural and related industry plastics” and the vision of “Bottle to bottle, bale to bale, bag to bag” is a direct articulation of this target.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation. The launch of the white paper, “Circular Economy for Canadian Agriculture,” is an act of education and awareness-raising aimed at building the capacity of the agricultural sector to adopt more sustainable, climate-friendly practices.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. Cleanfarms itself is presented as a successful industry partnership, “funded by its members in the crop protection, seed, fertilizer, animal health medication” and other industries, working collaboratively towards a common environmental goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 12.5 (National recycling rate, tons of material recycled): The article does not provide specific numbers, but it strongly implies that progress can be measured by the amount of waste diverted from landfills. The core function of Cleanfarms is “recovering and recycling agricultural and related industry plastics, packaging and products.” Therefore, an implied indicator is the tonnage or percentage of agricultural plastics collected and recycled annually.
• Implied Indicator for Target 9.4 (Adoption of sustainable practices): The article calls for business owners to “join a bold new conversation” and “adopt a more sustainable, circular approach.” An implied indicator of progress would be the number or percentage of Canadian agricultural businesses that adopt the circular economy principles and technologies outlined in the white paper.
• Implied Indicator for Target 17.17 (Number of partners): The success of the initiative is framed as a collective effort. The structure of Cleanfarms, being “funded by its members,” suggests that the number of participating companies and industry partners can be used as an indicator to measure the strength and reach of the partnership.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: globenewswire.com