A plan to nourish people and protect the Earth
By 2050, every person on the planet could have access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food while safeguarding the environment, a new report finds. The solution lies in adopting a “planetary health diet,” cutting food waste, and improving sustainable farming. The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems says these actions together could feed 9.6 billion people in a healthy and equitable way.
The commission’s findings also show that transforming the global food system could cut greenhouse gas emissions from food production by more than half. Currently, about 30% of global emissions come from producing, processing, and transporting food, as well as from converting forests into farmland.
What the planet-friendly diet looks like
The planetary health diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. It allows moderate amounts of meat and dairy while limiting sugar, salt, and saturated fat. “This diet benefits both people and the planet,” said Dr. Walter Willett, professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Willett recommends one serving of dairy and one serving of animal protein each day, such as fish, poultry, eggs, or meat. Red meat should be limited to about 4 ounces once a week. “It’s not about restriction,” Willett said. “It’s similar to the Mediterranean diet — balanced and flexible.”
Beyond diet: changing systems worldwide
Dietary changes alone will not be enough, said Johan Rockström, co-chair of the commission and director at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “We must also reduce food waste and move toward sustainable land and water use,” he said. “The goal is to produce healthy food that everyone can afford. That’s the real challenge.”
The meat industry pushes back
The first EAT-Lancet Commission report, published in 2019 with The Lancet medical journal, estimated that the planetary health diet could prevent 11.6 million premature deaths each year. The updated 2025 version now predicts as many as 15 million lives saved annually. In the United States, around 31% of premature adult deaths could be prevented.
Changing how the world eats could also save $5 trillion a year by restoring ecosystems, lowering health costs, and reducing climate damage. The necessary investment would be between $200 and $500 billion — a fraction of the potential savings.
Still, the commission faces opposition from the meat and dairy industries. In 2019, social media campaigns like #YestoMeat tried to undermine the report. “We’re seeing similar tactics now,” Rockström said. “It’s part of broader denialism against climate science.”
Dr. Willett noted that the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., promotes meat-heavy diets while minimizing livestock’s role in global warming. “This report is important because it’s built on the strongest global scientific evidence,” Willett said.
Imagining the food system of 2050
If current farming practices continue, greenhouse gas emissions could rise by 33% by 2050. Nearly 70% of the planet’s ecosystems have already lost more than half their natural area, mostly to agriculture. The new analysis shows that shifting to the planetary health diet could cut emissions by about 60% compared with 2020 levels.
Cattle populations would fall by 26%, freeing up 11% of land now used for grazing. “That’s critical,” Willett said. “It could stop deforestation in the Amazon, where forests are cleared for animal feed.”
Meanwhile, aquatic food production could rise by 46%, with vegetable output up 42%, fruits up 61%, nuts up 172%, and legumes up 187%. Global food prices could even drop by around 3%.
Tools to build a fair and sustainable food future
Christina Hicks, a commission member and professor at Lancaster University, said the wealthiest 30% of people cause more than 70% of all food-related environmental impacts. Less than 1% of the global population currently meets food needs without harming the environment.
To fix this, the commission suggests shifting agricultural subsidies away from meat and dairy and toward more sustainable crops such as legumes, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Governments could also tax foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats to discourage unhealthy eating. “We must increase purchasing power so people can afford nutritious food,” said Line Gordon, director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Protecting traditional plant-based diets across cultures is another priority. “We’re not dictating one single global diet,” Willett said. “The planetary health diet respects diversity and tradition. It just needs small adjustments to make it sustainable for both people and the planet.”
