Sustainability Dialogue - Healthy planet diets: can we eat our way to a healthy and sustainable planet?

The globalized food system plays a major role in some of societies’ most pressing challenges. It is a major contributor to biodiversity loss, climate change, disruption of the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and phosphorus, and land use change, which currently all exceed our planetary boundaries. At the same time, the diet associated with this food system brings major health risks linked to the high share of animal-based products, low share of fruit, vegetables and nuts, and dominance of highly processed foods rich in fat and added sugar, while lacking essential nutritional quality.

It is clear that drastic changes in our food system are needed if we are to solve these issues. But do the changes needed to tackle the environmental impact align with those needed for a healthy society? What would diets that are healthy for the planet, animals and humans look like? How can the current food system be restructured to produce those diets?

These are the main questions we will discuss with Prof Detlef van Vuuren (UU and PBL), Prof Yvonne van der Schouw (UMCU) and Ilse Geijzendorffer (Louis Bolk Institute). Moderator is Herman Lelieveldt (University College Roosevelt).

Join us for an interdisciplinary discussion followed by drinks on the 9^th of February.