Our Stories

Feeding the Planet Without Breaking It

ECHO Story
View of a table with different dishes from above and human hands sharing the food
Rawpixel.com | Adobe stock
Created by Nora Gau

How can humanity feed a growing global population without undermining the ecological systems that sustain life? The EAT-Lancet Report offers a scientifically grounded vision for healthy diets within planetary boundaries. Researchers from the Environment and Climate Research Hub (ECH) reflect on its relevance - from biodiversity and plant resilience to pollution, food systems, and human behaviour.

From Vision to Action: How Behaviour Shapes Sustainable Food Systems

ECHO Story
A couple in front of a produce shelf in a supermarket choosing between the different options
CandyRetriever | Adobe stock
Created by Nora Gau

The EAT-Lancet report presents a bold vision for sustainable nutrition. However, changing people's eating habits requires more than that: In this interview, environmental psychologist Sabine Pahl explains how culture, identity, and habits influence food choices, and why insights from the social and behavioural sciences are essential to turn planetary health goals into real-world action.

The True Cost of What We Eat

ECHO Story
A person holding their bills in a supermarket with shelfs in the background
Denys Kurbatov | Adobe stock
Created by Nora Gau

Alexandra Brausmann, environmental economist at the University of Vienna, examines the EAT-Lancet Report through an economic lens, focusing on what it means for policy, prices, and incentives. She discusses how shifts in diets could reshape markets and inequalities - and why reflecting the true environmental and health costs of food in prices and policy decisions is essential for creating sustainable and politically viable food systems.

From Planetary Diets to Personalised Nutrition

ECHO Story
Farm fields of different color from above
ARochau | Adobe Stock
Created by Nora Gau

We speak with Wolfram Weckwerth, Head of the Molecular Systems Biology lab and the Vienna Metabolomics Center at the University of Vienna, about the EAT-Lancet Report from a biological systems perspective. He reflects on plant diversity, stress resilience, and the limits of yield-driven agriculture - and introduces AIPN, a new research platform that brings together metabolomics, microbiome research, psychology, and AI to translate planetary health diets into data-driven, personalised strategies

Food Systems, Pollution, and Planetary Boundaries

ECHO Story
White plastic yogurt cups with sealed lids move along a blue conveyor belt inside a food processing factory
Belish | Adobe stock
Created by Nora Gau

Thilo Hofmann, environmental scientist and co-director of the Environment and Climate Research Hub at the University of Vienna, reflects on the EAT-Lancet Report. Drawing on his work on soils, water systems, and persistent contaminants like microplastics and PFAS, he highlights how pollutants can undermine nutrient cycles, ecosystem health, and the long-term sustainability of food production - and why interdisciplinary research is essential.

Biodiversity and Our Food's Future

ECHO Story
View of a big monoculture field with the sky full of clouds in the background
oticki | Adobe stock
Created by Nora Gau

Franz Essl, ECH member, ecologist and biodiversity researcher at the University of Vienna, discusses the EAT-Lancet Report with the ECH Editorial Team, focusing on how food systems contribute to biodiversity loss and climate change. He argues that protecting intact ecosystems is fundamental to long-term food security - and that only interdisciplinary research can address the complexity of global food system transformation.

Stay up to date!

Our research newsletter ‘ECHO’ provides you with the latest and most exciting information from the fields of environmental and climate research.

Logo des Forschungsverbunds Umwelt und Klima
Environment and Climate Research Hub
Subscribe now
Green banner with an illustrated envelope and letter on the right
Environment and Climate Research Hub

Follow ECH

Dive into the latest insights, innovations, and stories shaping our environment and climate future. Follow the Environment and Climate Research Hub on social media for real-time updates, expert perspectives, and behind-the-scenes looks at groundbreaking research.

Join the conversation. Be part of the change!