Authors: Cobaia Kitchen, Perplexity’s Deep Research
Images: Cobaia Kitchen
The most anticipated food systems report of the decade has arrived. Today, the EAT-Lancet Commission 2025 published their groundbreaking update on “Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Food Systems” – and it’s packed with implications for every climate-conscious home cook.
As the team behind Cobaia Kitchen’s Climate Impact Badge, we’ve been eagerly awaiting this scientific update since we first developed our rating methodology. The 2019 EAT-Lancet Commission fundamentally shaped how we think about sustainable cooking, providing the scientific foundation for our rating system. Now, with six years of additional research and dramatically improved modeling, the 2025 Commission delivers both validation and important updates.
The Big Picture: What’s Changed and What Hasn’t
Enhanced Scientific Rigor
The most significant methodological advancement is the Commission’s use of a multimodel ensemble of 11 global food system models compared to the single model used in 2019. This enhanced analytical framework provides unprecedented confidence in their findings – and strengthens the evidence supporting sustainable cooking practices.
Justice Takes Center Stage
Perhaps the most profound shift is the integration of social justice as a central component alongside health and environment. The Commission reveals alarming inequities: nearly half the world’s population falls below basic social foundations for food systems, while the wealthiest 30% contribute to more than 70% of food-related environmental pressures.
All Nine Planetary Boundaries Assessed
For the first time, the Commission quantifies food systems’ impact across all nine planetary boundaries. The sobering conclusion: food systems drive the transgression of five of the seven already breached boundaries, confirming food as the single largest cause of planetary instability.
Key Takeaways from Carbon Brief Analysis
Carbon Brief’s analysis highlights three critical insights that resonate deeply with our mission at Cobaia Kitchen:
1. Plant-Rich Diets Deliver on Both Health and Climate
The updated analysis confirms that shifting to plant-rich diets could reduce non-CO₂ agricultural emissions by 15% by 2050. This would require a two-thirds increase in fruit, vegetable, and nut production and allow for a one-third reduction in livestock meat production.
For home cooks: This reinforces our focus on plant-based recipes. Every A or B-rated recipe you prepare contributes to this essential transformation.
2. Systemic Change Multiplies Impact
The Commission’s modeling reveals that dietary shifts alone achieve a 15% reduction in agricultural emissions, but combined with improved productivity and reduced waste, this jumps to 20%. With ambitious mitigation policies, reductions could reach 34%.
For home cooks: Your individual choices matter, but they’re most powerful when combined with broader food system improvements. Supporting sustainable producers and minimizing food waste amplifies your impact.
3. Social Justice is Non-Negotiable
The Commission emphasizes that transformation cannot occur without addressing fundamental inequities. As Carbon Brief notes, more than half the world’s population struggles to access healthy diets, leading to devastating consequences for public health and environment.
For home cooks: Sustainable cooking isn’t just about carbon footprints – it’s about creating a food system that works for everyone.
Updated Planetary Health Diet: Minor Changes, Major Validation
Calorie Adjustment Reflects New Science
The most notable dietary change is the reduction from 2,500 to 2,400 kcal/day, based on updated doubly-labeled water methodology. However, the food group distributions remain essentially unchanged, providing strong validation for our existing recipe development approach.
Stronger Health Evidence
The health impact projections have actually increased: the Planetary Health Diet could now prevent approximately 15 million premature deaths annually (up from 11.6 million in 2019) – representing 27% of total global deaths.
Flexibility Within Boundaries
The Commission emphasizes that the diet is “compatible with many foods, cultures, dietary patterns, traditions, and individual preferences”, supporting our diverse, globally-inspired recipe collection.
Implications for Our Climate Impact Badge
Carbon Budget and Thresholds Remain Unchanged
Great news: our rating thresholds require no adjustment! The carbon budget remains unchanged from EAT-Lancet’s 5 GtCO₂e/year for 9.6 billion people, resulting in daily budgets of 1.41 kgCO₂e per person (A-rating, 2050 target) and 2.47 kgCO₂e per person (B-rating, 2030 target).
Recipes Will Score More Generously
However, recipe classifications will become slightly more generous. Since people are now expected to eat 100 fewer calories per day (2,400 vs 2,500 kcal) while maintaining the same carbon budget, a slightly larger carbon intensity per kcal is allowed. This means: More recipes may achieve A or B ratings.
Methodology Validation
The Commission’s reaffirmation of the 5 GtCO₂e per year food systems boundary provides strong validation for our underlying carbon budget calculations. Our farm-to-gate approach, A-E rating system, and focus on actionable consumer guidance remain highly relevant.
What This Means for Climate-Conscious Home Cooks
Your Cooking Choices Are More Important Than Ever
The Commission confirms that even if all fossil fuels were phased out, food systems alone could push us beyond 1.5°C warming. This makes every sustainable recipe choice genuinely significant for climate outcomes.
Plant-Rich Doesn’t Mean Plant-Only
The Planetary Health Diet allows for up to two servings of animal products daily – around one glass of milk and a couple of servings of meat or eggs per week. This flexibility supports diverse cooking styles while maintaining sustainability.
Focus on Whole Foods
The diet emphasizes “plant-rich” and “minimally processed” foods, supporting our focus on whole grains, legumes, nuts, vegetables, and fruits in recipe development.
Regional Adaptation Matters
The Commission’s emphasis on cultural appropriateness reinforces our commitment to featuring diverse global cuisines that align with sustainable principles – from our West African Plantain Peanut Stew to Indonesian Tofu Satay.
Looking Forward: Cobaia Kitchen’s Response
Methodology Remains Robust
Our Climate Impact Badge methodology requires only minimal adjustment of the functional unit – the science has validated our approach while making recipe classifications slightly more generous for our users.
Enhanced Recipe Development
The Commission’s findings will guide our continued focus on:
- Diverse plant proteins (legumes, nuts, seeds)
- Whole grain integration across global cuisines
- Minimal processing while maximizing flavor
- Cultural authenticity within sustainable boundaries
Educational Mission
The Commission’s emphasis on justice reminds us that sustainable cooking education must be accessible to all. We’ll continue developing resources that make climate-friendly cooking approachable regardless of cooking experience or budget.
The Urgency of Now
The EAT-Lancet 2025 Commission delivers a clear message: the window for food systems transformation is narrowing rapidly. But it also provides hope – the science shows that delicious, climate-friendly cooking isn’t just possible, it’s essential.
Every A-rated recipe you prepare, every B-rated meal you share, every food waste reduction strategy you implement – these actions are contributing to the “great food transformation” our planet desperately needs.
As Prof Johan Rockström, one of the Commission co-chairs, emphasized: transforming food systems is “not only possible, it’s essential to securing a safe, just and sustainable future for all”.
The science is clear. The solutions are known. The time for action is now.
Ready to cook for the planet? Explore our climate-rated recipes and join the transformation.
References
- Rockström, J., et al. (2025). The EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable and just food systems. The Lancet Commissions. Published online October 2, 2025.
- Carbon Brief. (2025). EAT-Lancet report: Three key takeaways on climate and diet change. Published October 2, 2025.
At Cobaia Kitchen, we’re committed to making sustainable cooking accessible through science-based climate ratings. The EAT-Lancet 2025 findings validate our methodology while making our recipe classifications slightly more generous – reflecting the scientific reality that eating fewer calories with the same carbon budget improves sustainability.
