Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

A healthier and more sustainable food system would revolutionize agriculture

if we followed a healthier global diet by 2050, increased productivity and halved food waste, the global structure of agriculture would be transformed.

Global demands for food system transformation have increased in recent years, and a study led by Cornell University in New York has sought to examine the implications of this change. The study was published in the Nature journal.

According to the report published by the EAT-Lancet Commission in 2025, healthier diets worldwide would prevent 15 million premature deaths a year. The entire food system generates one third of the world’s human-derived greenhouse gases, and half of the Earth’s habitable surface is dedicated to agriculture. Similarly, one third of the food produced is lost or wasted.

In the hope that the expected demographic and economic growth in the coming years will further complicate the situation, the authors wanted to know the environmental, social and economic impact of the transformation of food systems.

“The value of vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes would increase by 23%.”

By simulating scenarios created with ten models, the researchers compared what agriculture would look like in 2050 in two possible scenarios: on the one hand, continuing the situation as it is now, and on the other hand, following a healthier diet globally, increasing productivity and reducing food waste by half.

The results indicated that the transformation of the food system would reduce the area of land used in agriculture by 6% and agricultural production by 17%. On the other hand, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes would increase their value by 23%. For animal products, the number of ruminant animals would be reduced by 400 million and the value of products of animal origin would be reduced by 43%.

The authors point out that the transformation of the food system would bring significant benefits to the environment and human health, since, among other things, CO2 emissions from agriculture would be reduced by 85%. On the contrary, it would bring about profound changes in the lives of those who work in agriculture and livestock.

However, the researchers wanted to make it clear that it is one of the possible scenarios of the future and not a prediction of what will happen. They point out that it can serve as a guide to address the challenges and opportunities that we can face in the coming years.