Healthier diets could cut farmland emissions by 85%, study says

A global shift toward healthier diets, combined with more efficient farming and reduced food waste, could cut greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture-related land-use change by 85% by 2050, according to a study published last week in the journal Nature.

The analysis found that adopting healthier diets would reduce demand for livestock production, freeing up agricultural land and reshaping food production worldwide.

Global farmland could shrink by up to 6% compared with current trends, while the value of livestock production could fall by 42% from 2020 levels.

The value of fruit, vegetable, nut and legume production, meanwhile, could increase by 57%, reflecting a shift toward more plant-based foods, the study said.

The researchers modeled a global food system transformation based on the recommendations of the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission, which promotes healthier and more sustainable diets.

The study said the transition could also improve public health but would bring significant economic changes to agriculture, with the effects varying across regions.

It noted that the findings assume consumers adopt healthier diets and do not fully account for the economic, cultural or practical barriers that could slow such a shift.