Global Food Demand: Overcoming Challenges to Healthy and Sustainable Diets

Abstract

We review the research on global food demand and examine modeling efforts to address the complexities of dietary transitions. We also highlight challenges affecting the economic feasibility of dietary targets aimed at promoting both human health and environmental sustainability (e.g., EAT-Lancet). The relationships among income, prices, and food demand play an important role in understanding how economic growth impacts nutrition and sustainability. As countries become more affluent, and food accounts for a smaller share of income, dietary transitions often lead to increased consumption of both resource-intensive and energy-dense foods. Modeling strategies must account for these dynamics to accurately project future resource needs and nutritional outcomes. Research should also consider the cost of healthy diets within the context of both food and nonfood expenditures. When both are considered, considerably fewer people can afford proposed sustainable diets. Economic, environmental, and health perspectives should all be integrated when developing strategies to promote healthy and sustainable diets.