When it comes to what we eat, it is clear that our choices have a significant impact on the future of our planet. The latest IPCC report, published August 2023 by United Nations scientists, makes clear that the current food system is unsustainable.
Changing our habits to adopt more sustainable diets, including eating less meat and reducing food waste, is crucial to reducing emissions, according to the report. One-third of all greenhouse gas emissions come from the global food system, andcurrently, 60% of greenhouse gases released during food production come from meat production.
Worrying that meat production is on an “unstoppable trajectory to become the single greatest contributor to climate change,” the 2019 EAT-Lancet Commission Report introduced the Planetary Health Diet, calling for guidelines “doubling global consumption of fruits, nuts, vegetables and legumes, and cutting the consumption of red meat in half.”
In October 2025, the EAT-Lancet Commission released their second report, analyzing food sustainability on a global systems level, and noting that food systems are central to food security, human health, sustainability, and the stability of nations. This report addresses food justice for the first time, citing that the diets of the richest 30% of the global population contribute to more than 70% of the environmental pressures from food systems; meanwhile, over half of the population struggles with food insecurity and accessing healthy diets. It found that transforming food systems could substantially reduce emissions, and that a plant-rich diet is best both for health and the climate.
The second, often unconsidered, source of global emissions, is food waste. As 1 in 8 Americans struggle to put food on the table, over 40 percent of the food in the United States is never eaten. An enormous amount of resources and energy goes into growing, processing, transporting, and eventually disposing of all that wasted food. That includes, reports the NRDC, the climate-wrecking greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of the food system, plus water, fertilizer, packaging, labor, and more.
It’s clearly time for us to take a look at our diets. You might want to start by taking this quiz.
These simple transformations cannot come fast enough. As we become more aware of the complex issues in our food system, we must each find our own way to reduce our carbon footprint and re-establish our connection with food.
Whatever your path may be, this section is designed to help you understand the food revolution taking place and how to contribute to building a healthy and sustainable future through personal choices. There’s no doubt that we need to take collective action against climate change as citizens. Examining our kitchens is equally important — and a great place to start the sustainability journey.
CREDIT: Vicki Moore
