Although not specifically focusing on food sustainability this paper is of relevance for the larger debate on alternative models of sustainable development. The paper concludes that our modern material lifestyles are failing to make us happier, are damaging our health, are no longer sustainable and cost the overall economy tens of billions of pounds every year.

Author summary This article provides a synopsis of the main research findings from the book “Environmental protection with knife and fork – the ecological rucksack of nutrition in Germany”, various peer-reviewed publications and as well as the underlying dissertation of the author. The first part of the article presents an overview of current challenges in the transdisciplinary field of nutrition, environment and public health. After a brief presentation of the methods, in the results section life cycle assessment results are presented on product and consumption levels and possible courses of action are derived – with a special focus on different diets and reduced food losses.

This special issue focuses on the implications of climate change for food safety. The introductory paper to the series briefly summarizes the current state of knowledge.   It states that:

This systematic review evaluates the environmental impact of 49 dietary scenarios and shows that shifts in consumption could reduce diet-related GHG emissions and land use demand by up to 50%. The paper states that the amount and type of meat in the diet mainly affects the improvement potential. The research also identifies and addresses research gaps and key methodological aspects influencing outcomes.

Due to the large share of non-CO2 GHGs in emissions from livestock production, the choice of GHG metric used to compare emissions of different GHGs is crucial, both in order to assess the aggregate contribution of the livestock sector to climate change and for highlighting hot-spots in the animal food chain where emission reductions can be most cost-effectively made.

This discussion paper explores some of the challenges that come with taking a global perspective on sustainable farming and food. In particular the paper explores six key questions:

About 1900 species of insects are eaten worldwide by at least 2 billion people – not because they are short of food, but out of choice. But for most Western consumers the idea of insects as food is disgusting. However, a handful of entrepreneurial start-ups are working to change this.