Lindsey Verhaeghe is using online games and a mobile application to help young people learn what it takes to feed the world.
As Sustainability Initiatives Manager at Canadian agricultural company Nutrien Ltd., Lindsey sees the value of fun, educational games to teach the public — especially youth — about the Sustainable Development Goals and the complexities of agriculture.
Working with Global Compact Network Canada and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Lindsey led the development of a mobile app, Global Hero. It consists of 17 mini-games with each game focusing on one Global Goal, giving the user an opportunity to dive deeper into each topic.
Lindsey brings distinctive experience to her job at Nutrien, a giant agricultural firm created through the January 2018 merger of Agrium Inc. and PotashCorp.
She grew up in Southern Alberta, Canada on a family farm worked by her family for nearly 100 years. Now, Lindsey is using that personal perspective in the office, collaborating with colleagues to define how the new company’s operations can support specific goals. She is also working with key stakeholders to set measurable targets, policies and programmes.
Nutrien is particularly well-positioned to contribute to Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Lindsey has helped the company participate in the development of two online games that help young people learn about world food sustainability. Journey 2050, designed for classroom settings, takes students in North America on a farm simulation. Farmers 2050 is an animated farm game intended for home use around the world and showcases agricultural practices on farms and ranches. More than 400,000 students are using the games.
Nutrien stays committed to the Ten Principles by keeping employees aware of legal and ethical risks when carrying out their jobs. The company has understandable policies and uses training sessions, both in-person and online, to mitigate risk. There are multiple avenues for people to seek guidance, ask questions or report concerns anonymously, if allowable under law. Integrity is a core value of the company. Management provides practical, multi-lingual resources for employees working and travelling in countries with higher risks of bribery and corruption. Nutrien, with headquarters in Saskatoon, Canada, has a network of more than 1,700 retail locations in seven countries.
Nutrien has been a participant in the United Nations Global Compact since 2008.
Nutrien is a Global Compact Network Canada Visionary Supporter.
