The world is facing a critical challenge: how to feed its growing population while ensuring a healthy and sustainable future for both people and the planet. This is the core issue addressed in a special edition of The Lancet Planetary Health, coordinated by Cornell's Food Systems and Global Change (FSGC) group. The statistics paint a stark picture, with hunger, obesity, food waste, and agriculture's environmental impact all intertwined in a complex web of global issues.
Professor Mario Herrero, leading the FSGC group, emphasizes the need for a multi-faceted approach. "Transforming our food systems is about finding those sweet spots where environmental protection, human health, and just food systems intersect," he explains.
The special issue builds on the work of the EAT-Lancet Commission, a global collaboration of experts. Daniel Mason-D'Croz, a senior researcher at FSGC, highlights the need for more comprehensive insights beyond the commission's reports. "Earth's boundaries are pushing back, and food systems are at the heart of it all," he says. "We can't tackle these issues in silos; we need integrated solutions."
One key insight is the potential trade-off between healthy diets and food waste. Marina Sundiang, a postdoctoral associate at FSGC, explains, "Adopting healthier diets can have environmental benefits, but it also means managing fresh produce more carefully to avoid waste."
The special issue offers recommendations for producers, consumers, and governments. For consumers, it's about adopting balanced diets with more fruits and vegetables and less animal-sourced food. Producers are encouraged to increase productivity and circularity, while governments must invest in long-term scientific research to develop sustainable practices.
"We need to ask ourselves how we can transform systems at the speed and scale required," says Matthew Gibson, a postdoctoral associate at FSGC. "There's an urgent need for collaboration and innovation across food systems research and policy."
This special issue, a collaborative effort involving institutions like Wageningen University and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, is a step towards finding those solutions. It's a call to action, inviting discussion and debate on how we can feed the world without compromising its future.
