The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are an important framework that sets the development agenda for the next 15 years. Through targets and means of implementation, the SDGs appear to speak to development challenges in a comprehensive way; however, they are highly problematic. This is apparent in their conception and understanding of sustainability, especially in relation to agriculture and its role in poverty reduction and development. By focusing on the agricultural component of the SDGs, I demonstrate how the interests of agribusiness are explicitly aligned and advanced through a problematic conception of sustainability that underpins the SDGs. I suggest the -˜agriculture for development’s agenda that is present in the SDGs is really about ensuring the interests of agribusiness at the expense of ensuring actual sustainable development. I conclude that the social and political efforts coming from such an alignment undermine efforts to advance actual sustainability and substantive ecological relations.
