#PlantsGiving: Bringing plant relatives back into view – Michigan State University

Report on Plant Awareness Disparity and its Intersection with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Challenge of Plant Awareness Disparity (PAD)

A significant challenge in modern society is the phenomenon of “plant blindness” or “Plant Awareness Disparity” (PAD), which describes a cognitive disconnect from the foundational role plants play in sustaining life. This disparity, influenced by industrialization and shifts in land use, hinders progress toward several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report examines how educational initiatives and public engagement campaigns, such as #PlantsGiving, can counteract PAD and directly contribute to achieving global sustainability targets.

The Role of Plant Biodiversity in Achieving Global Goals

SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

The diversity of plant life is fundamental to global food security and terrestrial ecosystems. Addressing PAD is critical for the advancement of these goals.

• Food Security: A single plant family, Poaceae (the grass family), provides over 60% of the world’s caloric intake through staples like corn, rice, and wheat. However, reliance on a few species creates vulnerability. Recognizing and utilizing the more than 288 plant families with edible species is essential for building resilient food systems that support SDG 2.
• Biodiversity: Indigenous knowledge systems, which often view plants as relatives within a web of life, offer a model for sustainable stewardship. These practices, which contrast sharply with the detachment characterized by PAD, are vital for protecting and restoring biodiversity, directly aligning with the objectives of SDG 15.

Educational Initiatives for Sustainable Development

SDG 4 (Quality Education) and Public Awareness

Overcoming PAD is primarily an educational endeavor. Institutions and campaigns are creating accessible learning opportunities to foster a deeper connection with the plant world, in line with SDG 4 (Quality Education).

1. Institutional Programs: For over three decades, organizations like the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and Michigan State University Extension have provided hands-on educational programming. Current efforts to digitize plant collections and lesson plans aim to broaden access to these resources, empowering educators and communities to integrate plant-based learning into their curricula.
2. Public Engagement Campaigns: The annual #PlantsGiving initiative serves as a powerful tool for informal education and public engagement. By encouraging participants to identify the plant families in their meals, the campaign promotes:
   • SDG 4 (Quality Education): Fosters lifelong learning about botany, agriculture, and food systems.
   • SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): Encourages consumers to think critically about the diversity and origins of their food.
   • SDG 15 (Life on Land): Celebrates and raises awareness of the botanical diversity that underpins our ecosystems.

Case Studies: Culturally Significant Plants and Community Resilience

Supporting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption)

Incorporating culturally significant plants into diets is a direct way to support Indigenous food sovereignty, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable communities.

Manoomin (Wild Rice)

Manoomin (Zizania spp.) is a plant central to Anishinaabe culture and history. Consumer choices regarding this plant have significant implications for sustainability.

• Sustainable Production: Tribally-harvested manoomin from natural lakes involves careful stewardship that protects freshwater ecosystems. This contrasts with commercially paddy-grown wild rice, which is cultivated as a commodity crop.
• Responsible Consumption: Choosing lake-grown manoomin supports Indigenous economies, treaty rights, and sustainable harvesting practices that have maintained ecological balance for generations, directly contributing to SDG 12.

Sunchoke and Chokecherry

These native North American plants exemplify resilient and sustainable food sources.

• Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus): A resilient and easily cultivated tuber, the sunchoke offers nutritional benefits, including for individuals with diabetes, contributing to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
• Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana): This plant has long been a source of food, medicine, and ceremonial materials for Indigenous peoples. Its use in modern diets diversifies food sources and honors deep cultural histories.

Conclusion: Reconnecting with Plants for a Sustainable Future

Addressing Plant Awareness Disparity is not merely an academic exercise; it is a critical step toward a sustainable future. Initiatives like #PlantsGiving transform meals into educational opportunities, encouraging a deeper appreciation for biodiversity. By consciously choosing culturally significant and diverse plant-based foods, consumers can actively support the Sustainable Development Goals, fostering resilient food systems, preserving cultural heritage, protecting ecosystems, and rebuilding the essential relationship between humanity and the plant world.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

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

The article addresses and connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on plant diversity, education, sustainable food systems, ecological health, and the importance of Indigenous knowledge. The following SDGs are relevant:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – The article discusses food security, agricultural diversity, and the importance of various plant species, including traditional and wild varieties, for nutrition and caloric supply.
• SDG 4: Quality Education – A central theme is overcoming “plant blindness” or “plant awareness disparity” (PAD) through educational initiatives, such as those by the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens and the digitization of educational materials.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article highlights the cultural significance of plants to Indigenous peoples, discusses the disruption of their traditional practices by colonialism, and promotes supporting Indigenous food sovereignty.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – It encourages consumers to become more aware of the food they eat through the #PlantsGiving initiative, promoting a deeper understanding of food origins and diversity, which is a tenet of sustainable consumption.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – The text touches upon ecological decline, the importance of biodiversity, and the conservation of ecosystems, contrasting industrial agriculture (paddy-grown rice) with traditional, sustainable stewardship of natural habitats (lake-grown manoomin).

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

Based on the article’s content, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Target 2.5: By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species… and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.
  • Explanation: The article directly supports this target by encouraging the celebration and use of a wide diversity of plant families in meals (#PlantsGiving). It also emphasizes the value of traditional plant relatives like manoomin (wild rice), sunchokes, and chokecherries, contrasting wild or traditionally cultivated varieties with commercial monocultures and highlighting the importance of Indigenous stewardship.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles… and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
  • Explanation: The article’s primary goal is to address “plant awareness disparity.” It describes educational programming by Michigan State University Extension and the digitization of lesson plans as tools to help people “cultivate meaningful relationships with plants.” This is a direct form of education for sustainable development, fostering an appreciation for both biological and cultural diversity.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… origin… or other status.
  • Explanation: The article advocates for supporting Indigenous food sovereignty by seeking out and purchasing culturally significant foods like tribally-harvested manoomin. This action provides economic support and helps preserve the cultural practices and treaty rights of Indigenous communities like the Anishinaabe, thereby promoting their social and economic inclusion.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
  • Explanation: The #PlantsGiving initiative is a campaign designed to raise consumer awareness. By asking people to identify the plant families in their food, it encourages them to “slow down, look closely and appreciate the remarkable diversity,” fostering a lifestyle that is more conscious of and in harmony with the natural world.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services…
  • Explanation: The article discusses the ecological importance of wild manoomin, which requires “clean, slow-moving water” in lake ecosystems. It contrasts this with commercial paddies, which provide a “considerably different habitat.” Promoting the use of lake-grown manoomin supports the traditional stewardship and sustainable use of these freshwater ecosystems by the Anishinaabe people.

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

The article mentions or implies several informal indicators that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Indicator for Target 2.5: The number of different plant families consumed per meal.
  • Explanation: The #PlantsGiving campaign explicitly asks participants to “keep a tally of the plant families used to make your holiday meal.” This tally serves as a direct, quantifiable measure of the dietary diversity being promoted.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Indicator for Target 4.7: The number of participants in educational programs and the usage of digital educational resources.
  • Explanation: The article mentions that the Michigan 4-H Children’s Gardens have invited “thousands of visitors to interact directly with plant relatives.” Progress can be measured by tracking visitor numbers and, as mentioned, the use and adaptation of their newly digitized “plant collections, lesson plan and educational activities.”

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Indicator for Target 10.2: The market value and sales volume of Indigenous-harvested traditional foods.
  • Explanation: The article states that lake-grown manoomin costs more (approx. $14 per pound) because the “price reflects care and an ongoing commitment.” Tracking the sales and market for such products would indicate the level of economic support for Indigenous food sovereignty and communities.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Indicator for Target 12.8: The level of public engagement with awareness campaigns.
  • Explanation: The article encourages people to “share photos or video of the delicious outcomes online with the hashtag #PlantsGiving.” The number of posts, reach, and engagement associated with this hashtag can be used as an indicator to measure the success of the campaign in raising public awareness.

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Indicator for Target 15.1: The area of natural habitats under traditional, sustainable stewardship.
  • Explanation: The article notes that colonialism made “many historic manoomin lakes unsuitable for growing.” An implied indicator of progress would be the monitoring and restoration of these natural lake habitats for the sustainable harvesting of wild manoomin, reflecting the health of the ecosystem.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: canr.msu.edu