EAT-Lancet Commission:
Landmark update highlights the importance of vegetables for dietary and planetary health
– 15 October 2025 –
The latest EAT-Lancet Commission report on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems reaffirms an urgent truth: to nourish 10 billion people by 2050 without exhausting the planet, the world must eat far more plants — including plenty of vegetables.
It is the first significant revision to the Commission’s influential 2019 report, which outlined the idea of a “planetary health diet” – a way of eating that promoted both human wellbeing and environmental sustainability. Six years on, the central message has not changed: consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains should be more prominent in global diets, while red meat, sugar, and heavily processed foods should be sharply reduced.
What has changed is the weight of the evidence, with the report drawing on new studies that confirm strong links between vegetable-rich diets and reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. At the same time, evidence shows even more clearly that shifting diets away from animal-source foods towards vegetables is among the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and relieve pressure on land and water systems.
Yet, in the intervening years of discussion and debate, the gap between recommended and actual vegetable consumption remains wide. In most regions, people eat far fewer vegetables than the planetary health diet prescribes. South Asia, Africa, and Latin America still face critical shortfalls in availability and affordability, while in wealthier countries vegetables tend to be crowded out by cheap, ultra-processed foods. In contrast, red meat, starchy roots, and added sugars are consumed well above safe levels in nearly every region.
For the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg), the new report is a stark reminder of the need to strengthen vegetable research and development.
“The evidence has never been stronger, yet vegetables still aren’t reaching enough people,” said Delphine Larrousse, Director of Global Engagement at WorldVeg. “To make healthy, sustainable diets a reality, we need to rethink how vegetables are positioned — not just as a side dish, but as essential to the plate, the farm, and the food system. That means smarter investment, better policies, and a real commitment to making vegetables more available, affordable, and desirable for everyone.”
Vegetables continue to be under-prioritized in global research, receiving less than 15% of public research and development spending. This is despite World Health Organization guidelines that recommend consumption of at least 400 g (or five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day, excluding starchy roots.
The EAT-Lancet Commission calls for a “plant-rich” diet, with increased production and consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. They also call for structural changes to support a shift to the planetary health diet, with vegetables featuring strongly. This includes reallocating agricultural subsidies toward healthier, more sustainable foods rather than heavy support for commodity crops and livestock; reducing food loss and waste; and promoting regenerative agriculture.
These align closely with priorities outlined in the recently-launched World Vegetable Center Global Strategy (2026-2033), particularly the organisation’s Push-Pull-Policy framework, which aims to jointly address vegetable supply, demand and policy constraints. Notably, the EAT-Lancet report recommends: tackling increasing demand and access, improving affordability, supporting sustainable production, and integrating vegetables into food systems and public health policies.
The Commission considers the planetary health diet a flexible framework, adaptable to different cultures and contexts – from flexitarian to vegan patterns of eating. What matters, it argues, is the overall shift towards more plant-based foods, with vegetables playing a starring role.
Click to access full report: EAT-Lancet Commission 2025 report
