The global food system is in crisis. We're facing a complex web of challenges: widespread hunger, rising obesity rates, massive food waste, and agriculture's significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. But don't despair! A special issue of The Lancet Planetary Health, spearheaded by Cornell University researchers, offers a roadmap for a healthier, more sustainable, and just food future.
This initiative, coordinated by five members of Cornell's Food Systems and Global Change (FSGC) group, led by Professor Mario Herrero, dives deep into transforming our food systems. Herrero emphasizes the need for a multi-pronged approach that values both human and planetary health.
The special issue builds upon the work of the EAT-Lancet Commission, a global team of experts from over 35 countries, which released its second report on October 3rd. The FSGC group realized they had much more to share than could fit in the original report, leading to the development of this comprehensive special issue, according to Daniel Mason-D’Croz, a senior research associate.
The Challenges We Face: Our planet's boundaries are already strained due to climate change, land use pressures, and biodiversity loss. Food systems sit at the heart of these crises.
Mason-D’Croz uses a compelling analogy:
