Nikita Rossov – SDG 2 Youth Ambassador in Russia: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
This year Nikita graduated from the All-Russian Institute of Cinematography in Irkutsk. But a few years before graduation, Nikita made an extraordinary decision to move to a village and become a farmer. Today Nikita is an entrepreneur and owner of a farm and a cheese factory «Milasha» in the village of Khomutovo, Irkutsk District. In February 2020, «Milasha» was recongnized as one of the TOP 8 student entrepreneurial projects in the country, according to the ranking of the GSEA (Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards).
Besides running a business, he is engaged in organizing various social projects: helping elderly people during COVID-19 pandemic, lectures about SDGs in Irkutsk universities, educational excursions to the farm for schoolchildren and young people, etc.
— How can we collectively bridge the gap between the world we hope for and the world that may emerge if we cannot better control current trends? And what can we do now to make the world a better place for future generations?
— First and foremost, we need to work together. People should choose which SDG is closer to them, what problems are more relevant and work in this direction. Achieving the SDGs requires a comprehensive approach. Both government authorities (passing relevant bills), businesses (adopting a culture of social responsibility) and individuals (developing good social habits such as recycling). I believe that an effective way to advance the SDGs would be to analyze community activists/influencers and establish partnerships with them for SDG promotion. These could be popular TV presenters, bloggers, journalists, public figures, etc.
— What would you advise the UN Secretary-General to do to address the global challenges?
— I would advise the UN Secretary General to pay special attention to providing Russian youth equal opportunities to participate in international UN programmes. Global politics should not prevent young people of any nationality from growing in order to achieve the SDGs together.
