Only 1% of the world is eating a healthy and sustainable diet

A major report found healthier diets could transform the food system

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"If everyone ate a healthy diet, we would be able to feed 10 billion people in 2050 with seven per cent less land than we use today"

A major report on the global food system has found that less than one per cent of the world is eating a diet that's good for the planet and human health. Switching to a healthier diet, however, could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths per year, while cutting global greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 per cent.

These are the findings of a report by the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission. The report brings together the expertise of nutritionists, climate scientists, economists, doctors, social scientists and agriculturalists from more than 35 countries around the world.

The Commission assessed the impact of the food system on human health and the environment, concluding that, in its current form, food production is jeopardising the planet and the long-term survival of the human race. It's affecting the climate, land and water, disrupting the natural nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and causing pollution with pesticides and microplastics.

But, if the food industry changed to provide us all with healthier diets, we could address all of these environmental problems while also improving human lives.