Strategies for achieving healthy, sustainable, and equitable dietary transitions
The industrialization of global food systems has led to dietary changes that harm both health and the environment. If global food systems are to meet the needs of a growing population for healthy, environmentally sustainable, and affordable diets, substantial changes will be required. In this Review, we synthesize growing empirical evidence on the complexity of factors that influence consumer dietary and farmer production choices, especially the roles of public and private entities that shape food environments. We outline promising interventions to help facilitate beneficial global dietary transitions, including research and development for product innovation, regulation of food environments, and food assistance and food-as-medicine programs. Understanding and aligning the motives and incentives of various food system actors is essential to achieve improved health, environment, and equity outcomes.
Authors
- Marc F. Bellemare
- Rachel Pechey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6558-388X)
- Ole G. Mouritsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4258-8960)
- David R. Just (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7471-5178)
- Jessica Fanzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6760-1359)
- Kelly L. Haws (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3207-3717)
- Carola Grebitus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6511-1690)
- D McClements
- Christopher B. Barrett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9139-2721)
- Allen S. Levine (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4394-2586)
- David Tilman
- Susan A. Jebb
- Mario Herrero
Institutions
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Atkins (United States) (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- Chongqing University (CN)
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Cornell University (US)
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- New York State College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (US)
- Johns Hopkins University SAIS Bologna Center (IT)
- Arizona State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2026-04-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adr7162
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 19.26
Funders
- North Carolina Central University
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Carlsbergfondet