Today, EAT and GlobeScan launch the latest iteration of the Grains of Truth report, based on a global survey of nearly 32,000 consumers.
Alongside the scientific assessment from the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission, this report provides critical insight into public attitudes, priorities, and barriers shaping food choices worldwide.
Together, the two reports reveal a clear gap between scientific recommendations and lived consumer reality, as well as opportunities to close that gap.
Key findings from the 2025 Grains of Truth report: Addressing Consumer Priorities to Achieve Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Food Systems
There is strong global interest in healthier and more sustainable diets:
- 86 percent of respondents are interested in adopting healthy and sustainable diets.
- More than 70 percent say they are willing to adopt the Planetary Health Diet.
- Many already report taking positive steps – with a majority of regularly consuming meals that align with health and planetary goals, and certain actions considered easy such as avoiding throwing food away (76%), cooking a healthy meal (75%), or cooking a plant-rich or vegetarian meal (62%).
However, intention does not always translate into action. The single biggest barrier to purchasing healthy and sustainable food is affordability, and the second major barrier is perceived lack of availability. Beyond price and access, a lack of knowledge of sustainable food systems creates significant barriers for consumers trying to make better food choices.
Consumer motivations for healthy and sustainable food:
Consumers are motivated primarily by tangible health outcomes, with the most important benefits of the Planetary Health Diet being that it reduces the risk of diseases and that it supports health and the environment. While environmental concern is growing, personal health remains the strongest driver of change.
Who we trust:
Academics, scientists, and chefs are viewed as the most credible voices to guide dietary change, while governments, celebrities, and the financial sector are seen as less influential.
The way forward:
While the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission outlines the scientific pathway to transform food systems, the 2025 Grains of Truth report provides on-the-ground consumer realities, priorities, and challenges.
The most crucial finding is not one of despair, but of hope. Across regions and demographics, respondents converge on one message that the single most important step forward is to make healthy and sustainable food affordable for everyone.
The findings send a strong signal to governments, businesses, producers, and retailers. The opportunity is not to persuade consumers to care, but to remove the barriers preventing them from acting on what they already value.
The science is clear and the public’s desire for affordable, healthy food is overwhelming. The next step is delivering food systems that are healthy, sustainable, just, and within reach for all.
Read the 2025 Grains of Truth report for detailed findings and recommendations designed to help governments and businesses align their strategies with the powerful consumer desire for food that is good for both people and the planet.
