ABSTRACT
The adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 heralded a new era in sustainable development, emphasising the interconnectedness of challenges like poverty, hunger and environmental degradation. This shift, informed by Earth system science and encapsulated by the Amsterdam Declaration, positions humanity within a finite Earth system, stressing the importance of sustainable food production in the face of a projected global population of nine to ten billion by 2050. This underscores the significant environmental impact of current food systems, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, waste and malnutrition, and highlights the need for transformative approaches within the planetary boundaries framework to sustainably meet future nutritional demands. Scenarios presented by the World Resources Institute and EAT-Lancet report illustrate viable strategies for reducing environmental impacts through dietary changes, technological innovation and efficiency improvements. Achieving a sustainable food system requires a holistic approach encompassing technological advancements, behavioural changes and policy reforms to incentivise sustainability and efficiency. This multidimensional strategy underscores the feasibility and imperative of transitioning towards sustainable food production and consumption practices to ensure the health of the planet and its inhabitants.
