Food waste is a global problem, with estimates of a third of all food produced going to waste(1). In 2015, the United Nations set Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3, to halve food waste by 2030(2). To reach this goal, following the Target-Measure-Act approach is considered best practice(3). At the University of Otago, in Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand, approximately 3,500 students live across 14 fully catered residential colleges. The University of Otago has formally committed to pursuing the SDGs, and therefore reducing food waste. To track progress towards SDG 12.3, baseline measurements of food waste at the residential colleges are required. This research aimed to quantify food waste from the residential colleges, as well as to qualitatively discuss reasons for the waste and potential ideas to reduce waste. On three days at each of the 14 residential colleges, preparation, servery, and plate waste were measured from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, following a protocol developed from the Waste and Resources Action Programme Food Loss and Waste Standard. Additionally, five focus groups were conducted across three residential colleges, with students and staff, to discuss food waste at the residential colleges. An average of 172 g (95% CI 154 g to 191 g) of food waste were produced per student per day, with approximately 50% being plate waste, 35% being servery waste, and 15% being preparation waste. Reinforcing the quantitative data, in the focus groups staff voiced that the plate waste was a concern to them. Ways to reduce plate waste were discussed and included increasing awareness through making the waste more visible, as well as improving communication between kitchen staff and students particularly regarding serving sizes and preferred menu items. Servery waste was also considered, with more consistent forecasting of meal attendance across the residential colleges and a range of solutions for leftovers, such as a fridge for students or donation to other organisations, being suggested. With these baseline measurements of quantities of food waste produced at the University of Otago’s residential colleges, actions taken to reduce and mitigate food waste can be measured for effectiveness, and steps can be taken towards achieving SDG 12.3 collaboratively across the tertiary education sector.

This paper explores the intersection of Nigerian criminology and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the opportunities and future directions for aligning criminological research, education and practice with global development priorities. While Nigeria faces complex challenges such as poverty, inequality, insecurity, gender-based violence, environmental degradation and ineffective justice institutions, criminologists have a vital role in finding sustainable solutions. This paper explores how specific SDGs, notably Goals 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 16, provide significant opportunities for criminological involvement, including crime prevention, youth empowerment, community safety and tackling cybercrime. It suggests that incorporating SDGs into criminology curricula, enhancing data collection, encouraging field research, shaping policy reforms and accessing global funding can greatly improve the impact and relevance of the discipline. By taking an interdisciplinary, culturally aware and community-focused approach, Nigerian criminologists can advocate for evidence-based reforms that confront both the immediate and underlying factors of crime and insecurity. The paper concludes that aligning Nigerian criminology with the SDGs offers a timely chance to bolster academic and policy relevance while also serving as a strategic avenue for promoting peace, justice and inclusive development in Nigeria.

Globally, considerable attention is being given to the multifaceted challenges that policing faces as part of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) refers to promoting peace, security, human rights, stability and effective governance based on the rule of law. However, policing Nigeria to meet this goal has been fraught with several challenges, which range from erosion of public trust to growing crime rate, police brutality and other misconduct. This article reviewed empirical studies on how legitimacy issues impacted police enforcement of COVID-19 protocols and lockdown rules in Nigeria. Leaning on legitimacy and procedural justice theories, a systematic and iterative approach was adopted to identify and synthesize relevant literature on pandemic policing in Nigeria. We searched 12 databases (Scopus, PsycINFO, AJOL, Sage Journals Online, Web of Science, Academic Search Ultimate, PAIS Index, ProQuest Sociology, HeinOnline, Criminal Justice Abstracts, JSTOR, Sociological Abstracts) for empirical studies on pandemic policing in Nigeria published between 2020 and 2024. A total of 11 studies were included in the review. Four main themes were identified: the Nigerian police pre-COVID legitimacy issues; police enforcement of lockdown rules; key challenges; and lessons for post-pandemic policing. The review highlights the pre-COVID legitimacy issues of the Nigerian police that made an impact on public trust and cooperation during the lockdown period and recommends strategies to assist the Nigerian police in building momentum for a systemic and stylistic change of policing from force-based to consent-based.

This paper reflects on the recent, rapid rise in the use of “people-centered justice” language in global policy and international cooperation contexts. People-centered justice has provided a valuable common language to achieve policy buy-in and structure discussions on achieving justice for all, and breakfree from path dependencies of earlier rule of law assistance, and donor support long dominated by top-down support to courts and formal institutions of the justice system. However, recent uses of people-centered justice—without additional clarity—gloss over crucial differences in how justice challenges are framed, which could risk undermining some of its initial progress, or repeating past challenges encountered with rule of law support. Experiences of the OECD, USAID and in the United Nations systems provide contrasting examples of charting new paths, or clinging to well-worn path dependencies. We conclude with several reflections to overcome concerns with current uses.

In today’s world, smart algorithms—artificial intelligence (AI) and other intelligent systems—are pivotal for promoting the development agenda. They offer novel support for decision-making across policy planning domains, such as analysing poverty alleviation funds and predicting mortality rates. To comprehensively assess their efficacy and implications in policy formulation, this paper conducts a systematic review of 207 publications. The analysis underscores their integration within and across stages of the policy planning cycle: problem diagnosis and goal articulation; resource and constraint identification; design of alternative solutions; outcome projection; and evaluation. However, disparities exist in smart algorithm applications across stages, economic development levels, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While these algorithms predominantly focus on resource identification (29%) and contribute significantly to designing alternatives—such as long-term national energy policies—and projecting outcomes, including predicting multi-scenario land-use ecological security strategies, their application in evaluation remains limited (10%). Additionally, low-income nations have yet to fully harness AI’s potential, while upper-middle-income countries effectively leverage it. Notably, smart algorithm applications for SDGs also exhibit unevenness, with more emphasis on SDG 11 than on SDG 5 and SDG 17. Our study identifies literature gaps. Firstly, despite theoretical shifts, a disparity persists between physical and socioeconomic/environmental planning applications. Secondly, there is limited attention to policy-making in development initiatives, which is critical for improving lives. Future research should prioritise developing adaptive planning systems using emerging powerful algorithms to address uncertainty and complex environments. Ensuring algorithmic transparency, human-centered approaches, and responsible AI are crucial for AI accountability, trust, and credibility.

Can United Nations peace operations improve their effectiveness and strengthen longer-term positive legacies in host nations by shifting to greater use of renewable energy? Since the end of the Cold War and the growth of modern UN peace operations, attention has been focused on the missions’ mandate of supporting political strategies for peace and core objectives such as protecting civilians. Could missions better meet their mandate with improved energy options and reduced emissions, or is there a trade-off with the core objectives? As the missions are nearly fully dependent on diesel generators to power their operations, what is the UN’s responsibility to reduce emissions at a time when addressing climate change is a priority of the UN Secretary-General? Is there an ethical case to make for the UN to support greater use of renewable energy where it operates? And could the UN partner with host nations and others to support a shift in energy use that benefits the communities that host peace operations? This essay argues that missions could reduce their emissions and leverage their energy needs to increase security, strengthen ties to local communities, increase energy access, and support the climate goals of host nations. Drawing on case studies in recent peacekeeping missions and the author’s review of UN commitments across mandates, the Sustainable Development Goals, peacebuilding, and climate goals, this essay will address this area of potential innovation that can help build a positive legacy for UN missions and countries emerging from conflict.

Food insecurity remains a global issue, particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia. Thus, this study focused on identifying factors contributing to food insecurity and the strategies used to cope with it among agrarian and pastoralist communities of South Ari and Benatsemay Woreda, respectively. A facility-based qualitative study was carried out in Southern Ethiopia. Participants were selected using a purposefully targeting health extension workers, health centre directors, woreda programme experts, district health managers, and pregnant women staying in maternity waiting homes. The selection process included one health facility from each district, focusing on those with the highest number of pregnant women in maternity waiting homes. A total of 17 participants were involved in in-depth interviews, and 2 focus group discussions were conducted with 27 pregnant women, continuing until data saturation was achieved. Field notes were taken, and sessions were voice recorded. Participants in both in-depth interviews and focus group discussions frequently identified several causes of food insecurity in the community, such as food shortages, climate change, rising prices of agricultural products, inadequate agricultural technology, scarcity of farmland, and income constraints. Tailored intervention is highly demanding to implement policies to stabilise food supply chains and mitigate food shortages in both agrarian and pastoralist areas, invest in modern agricultural technologies to boost productivity, encourage the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices to help farmers adapt to changing weather patterns, optimise the productive use of available farmland, promote income-generating activities, and diversify livelihoods to alleviate income constraints and improve food security.

Sleep is a topic of scientific and technological relevance, as it is closely related to cognition, emotional well-being, and human health. In addition, health-related geopolitical and social changes have significant implications for sleep research, which in turn is linked to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). An integrative review is conducted to analyze multidisciplinary studies in the field of sleep, considering the socioecological model of sleep health and the SDGs. Sleep was found to play a key role in promoting several SDG: (1) Social and economic inclusion: sleep is linked to poverty eradication, food security, reducing inequalities, and promoting peace and justice; (2) Promoting well-being and quality of life: sleep quality directly affects health, education, gender equality, environmental protection, and combating climate change; (3) Economic and environmental sustainability: Adequate sleep contributes to decent work, innovation, infrastructure, responsible consumption, sustainable communities and collaboration through partnerships. This thematic organization provides an overview of the different aspects of the intersection between sleep health disparities and the SDG.