Plates, pyramids, planet

The starting point for this report is the observation that if we are to address the multiple social, health and environmental challenges caused by, and affecting food systems, global populations need to move towards dietary patterns that are both healthy and also respectful of environmental limits. As such, an integrated understanding of what such diets look like is needed.

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Our food system and consumption practices have, since prehistoric times, shaped and transformed our world and our societies. There have been enormous advances - in agricultural practice and in systems of storage, distribution and retailing - that have enabled population growth and improved diets for many. But these developments have also carried severe costs. While the tools and actions needed to achieve the necessary changes in diets are many, this report specifically considers the role of national level dietary guidelines in providing a steer on what dietary patterns that are both healthy and sustainable look like.