Food Inequality Is Fuelling Both Global Hunger And Climate Change: New Report

The recently released EAT-Lancet Commission report highlights how the richest 30% of the globe are responsible for around 70% of food-related climate costs.

A new report shines a light on how food choices and production affect climate change

The newly released EAT-Lancet Commission report on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems shines a spotlight on the true cost of what we eat and how we produce it. Bringing together more than 60 leading experts in nutrition, agriculture, climate science, public health, and social justice, the Commission revisits and expands on its groundbreaking 2019 findings. The report highlights how our food systems are deeply entangled with global crises of climate, biodiversity, health, and inequality. It draws on scientific data, long-term projections, and case studies to map out the health benefits of balanced diets as well as the planetary costs of current consumption patterns.

Also Read: Report Suggests Indian Dietary Practices Could Hold Key To Mitigating Climate Change

Why does this matter? Because food is no longer just a lifestyle choice or cultural expression. It is one of the strongest levers we have to shape a liveable future. The Commission argues that without transforming what and how we eat, the world cannot stay within safe climate limits, protect ecosystems, or reduce the staggering toll of diet-related disease. At the same time, it calls attention to the vast inequities embedded in the current system, where billions go without healthy diets while a wealthier minority consumes in ways that push planetary boundaries. In short, the future of food is inseparable from the future of the planet, and this report lays out both the urgency and the possibilities of change.

How The Richest 30% Of The World Are Responsible For Around 70% of Food-Related Emissions

The EAT-Lancet Commission underlines a stark imbalance at the heart of today's food systems. Close to half of the global population is unable to secure the basics of a dignified life: regular access to healthy, affordable diets, safe environments, and decent work. These unmet needs are not only a matter of hunger or malnutrition but also reflect deeper structural inequalities that prevent billions from exercising their fundamental right to food and wellbeing.

In sharp contrast, the report reveals that the wealthiest 30% of the world's population drive more than 70% of the environmental pressures linked to food, including greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water overuse, and pollution. This unequal distribution means that while many go without, the consumption patterns of a relatively small group are straining planetary limits. Alarmingly, only about 1% of people live in what the Commission calls a "safe and just space," where both human rights and environmental boundaries are respected. The findings point to the urgent need for a fairer and more sustainable approach to how food is produced, distributed, and consumed.

Also Read: Health, Price And More: New Survey Reveals What Drives Indians' Food Choices In 2025

Some Key Takeaways From The EAT-Lancet Commission Report 2025:

Food systems affect everything: our health, the environment, the climate, and fairness in society.
Changing diets is crucial: The updated Planetary Health Diet (mostly plant-based, flexible, and nutritious) could prevent up to 15 million deaths each year.
Food production has a significant impact on the planet: Farming and food use cause about 30% of greenhouse gases and drive biodiversity loss, water stress, and pollution.
Energy transition alone is not enough: Even if fossil fuels are phased out, food systems alone could push global warming above 1.5 degrees C.
Inequality is huge: As discussed above, the richest 30% cause over 70% of food-related environmental damage, while nearly half the world lacks healthy food and decent work.
Justice is central: Fair access to food, safe environments, and decent wages are basic rights, and must guide food system change.
Multiple actions are needed: Healthy diets, better farming practices, and less food waste together have the biggest impact.
Farming must become sustainable: Ecological practices can cut pollution, store more carbon, and protect nature.
Production shifts are essential: Less red meat and more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes are needed to feed almost 10 billion people fairly by 2050.
Urgent global action is required: Transformation needs strong policies, lots of financial support, and international cooperation, but the cost of doing nothing is far greater.