Reviews & Analysis

In the runup to the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, global progress on nutritional security and environmental sustainability has slowed. A new framework aims to help countries accelerate their ambitions, allowing them to set and monitor targets across food systems.

Increasing nitrogen (N) fertilization does not proportionally increase crop production. The integrative application of knowledge-based N management by synchronizing crop N demand with N supply is effective for enhancing crop N uptake while reducing its losses to the environment.

If people with unhealthy or typical dietary patterns in the UK were to follow the Eatwell Guide recommendations or longevity-associated dietary patterns, they would likely see substantial gains in life expectancy.

A systematic review of micronutrient retention after processing of foods biofortified with provitamin A or minerals (iron and/or zinc) enabled the creation of an online, interactive dashboard that helps users to choose suitable food processing methods for maximal micronutrient retention.

The relevance of history to contemporary food security issues is often overlooked, yet context is key to understand drivers of vulnerability and to design interventions. This Review offers a historical account of eastern African food systems from 1497 to 1840, including maps, documentary sources and archaeological data on foodstuffs, farming and diets.

Agricultural extension services are critical for food security and rural development but face several limitations—particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Based on real-life testing of GPT to generate technical advice for cassava farmers in Nigeria, this Perspective examines the shortcomings of this technology, as well as its potential to transform extension services.

A database reveals global patterns of the abundance and diversity of bacteria beneficial to plants and predicts that these vital bacteria may be threatened by future climate change. Such information is critical to sustainably address and safeguard the globe’s growing agricultural demands.

Simple dietary changes could cut carbon footprints, but the impact on other aspects of environmental sustainability and nutrition must be carefully considered.

Public health policies can have implications beyond their intended outcomes. A causal-loop diagram for sugar-sweetened beverage taxes was developed using a systems-thinking approach, emphasizing the trajectory of different outcomes over time.

With a better understanding of the soil microbiome and its interactions with plants, designing a synthetic bacterial community may complement current agricultural practices to enhance plant performance on marginal soils.

Multiple stable cell lines will be needed for cultivated meat scale-up and industrial production. This Review explores the potential of myogenic, adipogenic and extracellular matrix-producing adult stem cells and embryonic or inducible pluripotent stem cells for their proliferative and differentiation capacity, necessary for cultivated meat production.

Elevated CO₂, global warming, ozone pollution and drought are major climate-related environmental challenges affecting field crop production. This Review discusses strategies and opportunities for crop production under climate change and air pollution at the plant, field and ecosystem scales.

A global assessment of agricultural production reveals a surplus or deficit of food compared to requirements for a healthy diet in many regions, flagging opportunities to reduce the coexistence of undernutrition and obesity.

Model simulations show regional disparities in the responses of national crop productions to a suite of solar geoengineering scenarios that reflect sunlight to cool Earth.

Nutrient recycling is key for the circularity and sustainability of food systems. Understanding the movement of phosphorus through trade enables better geospatial planning and highlights opportunities for more effective global phosphorus governance.

Aluminium (Al) toxicity along with phosphorus (P) deficiency in acidic soils hampers crop growth; however, the role of soil microbiota in conferring Al resistance remains poorly understood. A synthetic community of Al-resistant bacteria was shown to increase rice yield by 26.36% in acidic fields, offering a promising solution for sustainable agriculture.

The European Commission’s recent proposal for more sustainable use of plant protection products has raised concerns over the impact that reduced pesticide use could have on agricultural yields. This Perspective reviews some of the impact assessments informing policy developments and critically analyses their assumptions.

Inadequate intakes of animal-derived foods, fruits and vegetables contribute to widespread malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies in Bangladesh. Combining aquatic food with crop production can maximize the nutritional and economic output of smallholder farms.

A global-level quantitative synthesis fills current knowledge gaps on the potential effects of agricultural diversification on ecosystem services and the socioeconomic benefits of rice.

Agriculture-related air pollution in China affects human and environmental health. A county-level campaign shows it is possible to coordinate efforts among smallholders for ammonia reduction.