EAT-Lancet Commission: Lack of Representation From Vulnerable Nations Raises Concerns

Global food systems are failing to deliver on healthy, sustainable, and just outcomes, according to a comprehensive new report released in October 2025 by the EAT-Lancet Commission. Building on its influential 2019 report, the 2025 assessment reveals a stark reality: fewer than 1% of the world’s population currently live within a “safe and just space” where food needs are met without exceeding planetary boundaries.

The report, described as the most comprehensive global scientific evaluation of food systems to date, highlights the interconnected crises of health, climate change, biodiversity loss, and social injustice. It finds that food systems are the largest contributor to the transgression of five planetary boundaries – climate, biodiversity, land use, freshwater use, and biogeochemical flows (nitrogen and phosphorus). Currently, food systems account for roughly 30% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, but transformative changes could cut these emissions by more than half.

A key finding is the potential for significant health gains through dietary shifts. The Commission estimates that shifting global diets towards what is known as the Planetary Health Diet could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths per year – a figure representing approximately 27% of global mortality, and a higher estimate than previously reported in 2019. This equates to over 40,000 deaths prevented each day.

The Growing Emphasis on Justice

The 2025 report marks a significant evolution from the 2019 Commission, expanding its focus to explicitly include justice. This new lens examines food systems through the framework of distributive, representational, and recognitional justice, grounded in human rights to food, a healthy environment, and decent work. The report identifies that nearly half of the world’s population currently lives below the social foundations necessary to secure these rights.

This focus on justice acknowledges that the burdens and benefits of food systems are not shared equitably. The wealthiest 30% of people are responsible for more than 70% of food-related environmental impacts, while a substantial portion of food system workers – approximately 32% – earn below a living wage. The report emphasizes the need for fair treatment throughout the entire food chain, from farmers and producers to consumers.

Planetary Boundaries and Food Systems

The Commission quantified the food system’s impact on all nine planetary boundaries, confirming its role as the single largest driver of transgression for five of them. These boundaries represent safe operating spaces for humanity, beyond which the risk of abrupt and irreversible environmental changes increases. The five boundaries most impacted by food systems are climate change, biodiversity loss, land-use change, freshwater use, and alterations to biogeochemical cycles.

The report also highlights the concept of “food sovereignty” – the right of people to define their own food and agriculture systems, and to access healthy, culturally appropriate food produced sustainably. This is particularly relevant for Indigenous communities and marginalized groups.

Representation Concerns and Global Implications

Despite the global scope of the report and its emphasis on representation, concerns have been raised regarding the diversity of authorship. While the Commission comprised experts from six continents, representation from regions most vulnerable to the impacts of food system changes – particularly low- and middle-income countries – remains limited. For example, the report notes that reductions in emissions and agricultural land use will largely need to come from regions like China, Brazil, and sub-Saharan Africa, yet the authorship reflects limited direct input from these areas. Of the 70 authors, only a small number originate from these key regions: one from Ethiopia, one from Mexico, one from Columbia, one from Indonesia, two from India, and one from Taiwan. There were no authors listed from China.

The report’s findings underscore the urgency of transforming food systems to address interconnected global challenges. Achieving improved health, environmental sustainability, and social justice requires a concerted global effort, one that prioritizes equity and inclusivity, and acknowledges the disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations. The Commission’s work provides a scientific foundation for policy changes and interventions aimed at creating food systems that are both healthy and just for all.

The need for change is clear. The current trajectory is unsustainable, and the window of opportunity to act is narrowing. The October 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission report serves as a critical call to action for policymakers, researchers, and individuals alike.