The hidden costs of current diets, or the cost saving associated with the adoption of low-carbon diets, remain unknown. This study combines life cycle assessment and monetarization factors to quantify the indirect costs of nine global dietary change strategies which progressively reduce animal-sourced foods, including consumption-linked health burden from changes in diet-related disease risk.

Standard tests to determine food spoilage are costly and time consuming. A poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)-based sensor offers a low-cost alternative that can be linked to mobile phones for real-time spoilage analysis. The device was tested on chicken and beef samples under various storage conditions.

Nitrogen limitation is a key determinant of agriculture’s feeding capacity. Modelling simulations of feed–food competition, grassland-to-cropland allocation and nitrogen management strategies reveal how many people could be fed under organic versus industrial fertilization and other farming practices.

The exact location and extent of cocoa plantations in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the world’s largest producers, remain unknown in spite of their social, economic and environmental relevance. New satellite-based high-resolution maps generated through a deep learning framework link cocoa cultivation with deforestation in protected areas and show that official reports underestimate the total planted area.

Standard tests to determine food spoilage are costly and time consuming. A poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)-based sensor offers a low-cost alternative that can be linked to mobile phones for real-time spoilage analysis. The device was tested on chicken and beef samples under various storage conditions.

The hidden costs of current diets, or the cost saving associated with the adoption of low-carbon diets, remain unknown. This study combines life cycle assessment and monetarization factors to quantify the indirect costs of nine global dietary change strategies which progressively reduce animal-sourced foods, including consumption-linked health burden from changes in diet-related disease risk.

Genome assemblies, genetic variations, and metabolome and metal ion profiles were generated for diverse pigmented Asian rice varieties. An early maturing, shorter-stature black rice variety was created using CRISPR–Cas9-mediated genome editing, providing insights for improving Asian pigmented rice.

Individuals’ food choices are typically based on recipes, not specific ingredients. This study compares almost 600 dinner recipes from the UK, the USA and Norway in terms of healthiness and environmental impact—including adherence to dietary guidelines and aggregate health indicators, as well as greenhouse gas emissions and land use.

Using data from long-term nationwide observations and multi-level rainfall manipulative experiments, this study reveals that rice yield reductions due to extreme rainfall in China were comparable to those induced by extreme heat over the past two decades. Further projections highlight the increasing risk of rice yield reductions induced by extreme rainfall by the end of this century.

This year’s World Metrology Day is themed around the global food system. Beyond the need for metrics that can capture complexity, this is an opportunity to reflect more broadly on the quantitative paradigm that largely underlies food systems research.