Beyond the Planetary Health Diet: Equity, Affordability, and Cultural Fit in the Transition to Sustainable Nutrition

The increasing issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, resource depletion, and all forms of malnutrition has strengthened the need to renovate global food systems toward greater sustainability. The Planetary Health Diet (PHD), introduced by the EAT–Lancet Commission, provides a scientific framework for promoting healthy diets within environmental limits. However, its implementation is often constrained by gaps in affordability, accessibility, cultural preferences, and regional food availability. Universal dietary recommendations are difficult to implement in many low- and middle-income countries due to diverse traditional dietary practices and financial constraints. As a result, it is becoming increasingly clear that sustainable nutrition must take into account social equity, cultural suitability, and economic viability in addition to environmental factors. Innovative research, policies, and practices that promote inclusive, resilient, and locally adaptable food systems are the focus of this special issue. This makes it possible for equitable transitions toward sustainable nutrition for a wide range of populations and locations.This Special Issue aims to advance interdisciplinary research on sustainable nutrition by investigative pathways that extend beyond the Planetary Health Diet to address the critical scopes of equity, affordability, accessibility, and cultural relevance. Despite the widespread recognition of sustainable dietary frameworks potential to improve human and environmental health, their successful implementation necessitates adaptation to a variety of socioeconomic and cultural contexts. The Special Issue seeks original research articles, reviews, case studies, and policy perspectives that explore innovative strategies for making sustainable diets inclusive, economically feasible, and locally appropriate. Particular emphasis is placed on food system transformation, indigenous and traditional food systems, climate-resilient agriculture, nutrition-sensitive policies, consumer behavior, food affordability, gender and social equity, and region-specific dietary models. This Special Issue aims to generate evidence that informs policies and practices supporting equitable, culturally acceptable, and environmentally sustainable food systems for diverse populations worldwide by bringing together contributions from nutrition science, food technology, agriculture, public health, environmental science, economics, and social sciences.• Planetary Health Diet: opportunities, limitations, and regional adaptations• Sustainable, healthy, and resilient food systems• Food affordability, accessibility, and socioeconomic inequalities• Indigenous, traditional, and culturally appropriate dietary practices• Sustainable agriculture and food production systems• Consumer behavior, dietary transitions, and nutrition education• Circular economy approaches and food loss and waste reduction• Sustainable livestock, aquaculture, and alternative protein sources• Precision nutrition and digital innovations for sustainable diets• Public policies, governance, and economic instruments for sustainable food systems• Gender, youth, and vulnerable populations in sustainable nutrition• Life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprint, and environmental impact of foods• Sustainable dietary assessment methods and food environment studies• Contributions supporting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 2, 3, 12, 13, and 15 Topic editors: Pintu Choudhary, Pratik Subhash Gaikwad, Hamid . Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83831/beyond-the-planetary-health-diet-equity-affordability-and-cultural-fit-in-the-transition-to-sustainable-nutrition