The Commission convenes leading global researchers from diverse scientific disciplines to address the need to feed a growing global population a healthy diet, while also defining sustainable food systems that will minimize damage to the planet. The main objective is to achieve Planetary Health Diets for nearly 10 billion people by 2050.
The Commission quantitatively describes a universal healthy reference diet, based on an increase in consumption of healthy foods (such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts), and a decrease in consumption of red meat, sugar, and refined grains, that would provide major health benefits, and also increase the likelihood of attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
These findings suggest that a shift towards a dietary pattern emphasizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, without necessarily becoming a strict vegan, would be beneficial. “Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have to double, and consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50%”, said Prof. Walter Willett, from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Summary Report
Willett, W., Rockström, J., Loken, B., Springmann, M., Lang, T., Vermeulen, S., … & Jonell, M. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet.