The much-anticipated second EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy, Sustainable and Just Food Systems has been released, building on the landmark 2019 report that first defined the “Planetary Health Diet.” Professor of Climate Jessica Fanzo served as a commissioner, while her postdoctoral fellow, Bianca Carducci, contributed as an author—helping shape one of the most significant scientific updates in global food systems research.

This new report, EAT-Lancet 2.0, arrives at a moment of heightened urgency. Since 2019, the world has endured pandemic disruptions, rising food prices, intensifying conflicts, accelerating climate impacts and widening inequities in access to healthy food. The commission offers an updated framework that integrates health, sustainability and justice—arguing that food systems must be transformed by 2050 to nourish a projected 9.6 billion people within planetary boundaries.

From EAT-Lancet 1.0 to 2.0: What’s New?

The 2019 commission was groundbreaking in articulating a recommended global dietary pattern—the Planetary Health Diet (PHD)—that promoted both human health and environmental sustainability. That report, cited over 10,000 times, influenced national policies, UN processes and city-level actions.

The 2025 update strengthens the evidence base and significantly broadens the scope. This second iteration places justice at the center—examining multiple dimensions of justice including distributive fairness, the recognition of marginalized communities, and their representation in governance. The commission also introduces stronger modeling capacity, using a multi-model ensemble of ten leading agro-economic and environmental models to assess dietary shifts, productivity gains and reductions in food loss and waste. For the first time, it proposes explicit food system boundaries for climate, biodiversity, land, water and nutrient cycles, directly linking diets to the Earth’s safe operating space.

The Planetary Health Diet Reaffirmed

At the heart of the commission is the reaffirmation of the Planetary Health Diet: a largely plant-based diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds; complemented by modest amounts of fish, poultry, dairy and eggs; and low in red meat (one serving a week), added sugars and saturated fats. Overall, the diet allows two servings of animal-source foods per day—drawn from fish, yogurt, milk, cheese or meat.

Updated evidence shows adherence to this diet reduces all-cause mortality by 28 percent in large cohort studies—equivalent to 15 million deaths averted annually—while lowering incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and several cancers. It also appears to protect against cognitive decline and unhealthy aging.

Importantly, the PHD is not a universal prescription but a flexible framework adaptable to cultural traditions and local foodways. Many Indigenous, Asian and Mediterranean diets already align closely, underscoring the importance of protecting traditional diets alongside innovating new ones. Safeguarding food heritage, the report argues, is as vital as advancing nutrition science.

Food Systems and Planetary Boundaries

The commission confirms that food systems are the leading driver of planetary boundary transgression. Agriculture and food produce 16–17.7 gigatons of greenhouse gases annually—about 30 percent of the global total. Unsustainable land conversion, mainly deforestation, is the primary driver of biodiversity loss, while fertilizer overuse and poor nutrient management account for nearly all nitrogen and phosphorus boundary overshoots. Irrigation and soil degradation further stress freshwater systems.

To reverse these trends, the report calls for halting conversion of intact ecosystems, restoring tropical and temperate forests, and adopting ecological intensification that regenerates soils, sequesters carbon, and reduces reliance on chemical inputs. Modeling shows that widespread adoption of the PHD, coupled with ambitious climate policies, could slash greenhouse gases, land use, and water footprints—even while feeding a larger global population.

Justice as the Third Pillar

The most distinctive advance of EAT-Lancet 2.0 is its centering of justice—largely absent in the first report. Food systems are not just failing the planet; they are failing billions of people. Nearly half the world cannot afford a healthy diet. Food system workers often face low wages, unsafe conditions and little representation, while marginalized groups—women, children, Indigenous peoples and low-income communities—bear disproportionate burdens.

The commission defines a just food system as one that ensures: equitable access to affordable, healthy diets; supportive food environments; the right to a clean environment and stable climate; decent work with fair wages and safe conditions; and genuine representation in decision-making. Healthy diets, it concludes, are both a human right and a shared responsibility.

Eight Pathways for Change

The report outlines priority solutions to transform food systems by 2050. These include reshaping food environments so healthy diets are affordable and accessible, while protecting traditional diets that already support planetary health. On the production side, scaling up sustainable agriculture and aquaculture practices, halting deforestation and restoring degraded ecosystems are essential. Equally critical is halving food loss and waste from farm to household.

The commission also underscores the importance of social protection schemes: living wages and decent work for food system laborers, inclusive governance and targeted support to marginalized groups. Together, these actions represent a roadmap for healthier diets, fairer societies and a safer planet.

The Economics of Action vs. Inaction

Transforming food systems requires investment, but the cost of inaction is far greater. Food systems generate about $15 trillion annually, yet impose $12 trillion in hidden health and environmental costs. Redirecting subsidies from harmful practices—such as fertilizer overuse or overproduction of unhealthy foods—towards regenerative agriculture and nutritious diets could rapidly shift the balance toward net benefits. The commission emphasizes that realigning financial incentives, backed by international cooperation, is essential to accelerate change.

Why This Report Matters

EAT-Lancet 2.0 is more than another scientific assessment—it is a blueprint for survival. It sets quantitative guardrails for diets and production, integrates justice into sustainability and demonstrates that systemic transformation is both necessary and achievable. Humanity already produces enough calories to feed everyone, yet billions go hungry while others over-consume in ways that destabilize the planet. The commission underscores that food is both a major driver of today’s crises and one of the most powerful levers for hope.

Conclusion: A Shared Responsibility

The commission makes clear that healthy diets are a fundamental right and collective duty. Achieving them will require systemic transformation in how we produce, consume, govern, and value food. By mid-century, that means halting deforestation, halving food waste, scaling sustainable agriculture and aquaculture practices, and ensuring just labor systems.

The evidence shows this shift is possible and that the benefits—healthier lives, more resilient ecosystems and fairer societies—will far outweigh the costs. The choice is stark: continue on the path of ecological overshoot, inequity and ill health, or build food systems that nourish both people and planet. EAT-Lancet 2.0 provides not just the science, but the moral imperative, too.