New research from Wageningen university & research (WUR) is contributing to a critical global conversation on enduring food systems, with recent findings presented to the EAT-Lancet 2025 Commission in October. Building on the groundbreaking 2019 EAT-Lancet report that introduced the Planetary Health Diet, this latest work focuses on pathways to stay within planetary boundaries-specifically regarding nitrogen and phosphorus use-through increased circularity. The WUR team’s modeling, surprisingly, identified approaches to achieve these targets by 2050, a prospect that sparked discussion at the report’s launch in Sweden.
Researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) contributed to a recent report from the EAT-Lancet 2025 Commission, published in early October.
How did you become involved?
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Vera Bekkers: ‘I sort of fell into it. When I applied to WUR last year, I was told a more suitable PhD position would become available this fall. In the meantime, I started working as a research assistant.’
We received applause from the audience
Hannah (van Zanten) asked me to help with modeling for the EAT-Lancet 2025 report and the detailed analysis article. To be honest, I had never heard of EAT-Lancet – my background is in geo-information science – and I didn’t realize how influential it is.’
Wolfram Simon: ‘I finished my PhD last December. It focused on the effect that circularity can have on reducing the environmental impact on European and global scales. During my research, I worked extensively with the CiFoS model – the same model used for the in-depth analysis – to simulate food systems and test how changes in dietary patterns affect environmental impact. Because I’m very familiar with the CiFoS model, I joined the modeling team for this analysis.’
How much of your work made it into the main report?
Simon: ‘You never know how much of your results will be used, but we ultimately got almost a full page in the main report – quite prominent! The authors of the EAT-Lancet report were very interested in circularity and even mentioned it during the launch conference in Sweden.’
Bekkers: ‘The main report includes parts of the results from our in-depth analysis, primarily about the importance of circularity in staying within planetary boundaries for nitrogen and phosphorus use. More comprehensive results from our study, including attention to greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and nutrition, will be published in a special edition in November.’
Did you attend the launch in Sweden?
Bekkers: ‘Yes, it was a really great experience! The presenter asked Hannah van Zanten and her modeling team – that’s us! – to stand up, and we received applause. That was a surprise.’
Simon: ‘Fabrice DeClerck, the last author of the main report and Chief Science Officer at EAT, was very enthusiastic about our work. It’s rewarding when people recognize the importance of it after the countless hours we put in. It was also great to connect with this global network of modelers, as we all face similar questions and challenges.’
Did you meet any prominent scientists in Stockholm?
Bekkers: ‘For me, the recognition we received from Fabrice DeClerck was a highlight. It gave me a lot of energy and confidence. Very inspiring.’
Simon: ‘I met Professor Walter Willett, the first author of the 2019 EAT-Lancet report and one of the most cited nutrition scientists. He gave very inspiring lectures, even at 80 years old. It was also great to hear Johan Rockström speak live about planetary boundaries, and I had a long conversation with Marco Springmann, a British researcher known for his food system models and the nutritional value of diets. We compared our methods.’
What surprised you the most?
Bekkers: ‘Before this project, I wasn’t really familiar with food systems science. I was struck by how much impact food systems have on the environment: food systems are the primary driver of planetary boundary transgressions, according to the EAT-Lancet 2025 report. Applying the CiFoS model shows that this environmental impact can be significantly reduced.’
Simon: ‘We were the only modeling team that succeeded in bringing nitrogen and phosphorus levels below planetary boundaries by 2050. Our approach was quite radical because we didn’t factor in economic considerations. This allowed us to completely redesign the food system from an environmental perspective. The fact that we were able to stay within those limits surprised many people, including myself.’
What does your contribution mean for WUR researchers and students?
Simon: ‘Our contribution to this influential report shows that WUR scientists hopefully can play a role in the next report as well. Even students working on theses about global food systems could theoretically get involved.’
Bekkers: ‘That was also mentioned in Stockholm. We now have a modeling framework to compare scenarios. Others can add their own ideas, including students.’
What’s next?
Simon: ‘We are now adding more applications, such as regenerative, agroforestry, or permaculture systems, to test how these influence the food system. We are also looking at local planetary boundaries with regional case studies to see what sustainable food systems could look like. In 2090, we will need to feed 2 billion more people, while we are already exceeding many planetary boundaries. We can contribute to a solution. This conference really made me realize how relevant and impactful our work is.’
In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission released a scientific report on healthy dietary patterns that fit within a sustainable food system. The commission introduced the Planetary Health Diet, a primarily plant-based diet with optional, small amounts of animal foods and limited added sugars, saturated fats, and salt. A second EAT-Lancet commission presented a follow-up report in October, with contributions from WUR professors Hannah van Zanten and Wim de Vries. De Vries led research quantifying planetary boundaries for nitrogen and phosphorus, while Van Zanten led research on the impact of changes in dietary patterns and improved circularity – the component to which Bekkers and Simon also contributed.
