Summary
This 2025 modelling study by Hadjikakou et al. examines the scale of food system transformation required to bring global agriculture and food production within planetary environmental limits across multiple boundaries simultaneously. The analysis, published in One Earth, suggests that incremental improvements alone are insufficient and that comprehensive interventions—likely spanning consumption patterns, production efficiency, and food waste reduction—are necessary to mitigate the risk of further exceeding Earth's carrying capacity.
UK applicability
The findings are relevant to UK food policy and agricultural strategy, particularly as the country develops post-Brexit agricultural frameworks and net-zero targets. The modelled interventions may inform UK government guidance on sustainable food systems and land use planning, though local implementation would require adaptation to UK-specific farming systems, dietary preferences, and supply chain structures.
Key measures
Planetary boundary exceedances; greenhouse gas emissions; freshwater consumption; agricultural land use; nitrogen and phosphorus application rates; biodiversity impact metrics
Outcomes reported
The study modelled ambitious food system interventions and their combined effects on multiple environmental planetary boundaries including greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, land use, nitrogen and phosphorus flows, and biodiversity impacts.
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