187 pages · 2025
Nutrition Security for Planetary Health
By Irana Hawkins
- Published
- July 11, 2025
- Imprint
- CRC Press
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- ISBN
- 9781003153528
Overview
About this book
Using the lens of nutrition security and equity for the living beings and living systems of the planet, Nutrition Security for Planetary Health takes an integrated, systems approach that not only delineates the antecedents of the multifaceted environmental crises—but offers solutions including the extensive co-benefits of whole plant foods nutrition as the foundational dietary pattern for improving planetary health. Overlooked yet inseparable problems that connect food systems to the transgression of our planetary boundaries, chronic disease, and zoonotic disease are discerned. Bolstering nature and biodiversity is emphasized throughout including regenerative agroecology, native plant foods and ecosystems, utilizing traditional and Indigenous wisdom, rewilding, and community science. Lastly, inspiring vignettes demonstrate the power of individual and collective actions that advance planetary health.
Subjects
Bioscience, Engineering & Technology, Environment and Sustainability, Food Science & Technology, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health
Inside the book
Table of contents
Select a chapter to read its abstract.
Part Section OneAn Epic Array of Interconnected Crises
Pages: 94
No chapter abstract available.
Chapter 1Far beyond the Carbon Emissions of Your Plate
Pages: 9
“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.”
Chapter 2A Planet with Too Many in Peril
Pages: 15
“Right now, the earth is full of refugees, human and not, without refuge.”
Chapter 3The Massive Consumption of Natural Resources
Pages: 7
“By living so far beyond our environmental means, and running up ecological debts, we make two mistakes. First, we deny millions globally who already lack access to sufficient land, food and clean water the chance to meet their needs. Secondly, we put the planet’s life support mechanisms in peril”.
Chapter 4Global Industrialized Food Systems and Environmental Degradation
Pages: 18
“The current food system is neither healthy, nor sustainable.”
Chapter 5The Global Burden of Diet-Related Chronic Disease
Pages: 14
“We know enough to prevent and control most CVD [cardiovascular disease]; however, knowing is not enough.”
Chapter 6Structural Violence, Environmental Racism and the Social Determinants of Health
Pages: 14
“Not all people are polluted equally…”
Chapter 7The Burden of Health Disparities and Nutrition-Related Chronic Disease in the U.S.
Pages: 15
“The lack of access to affordable nutritious food is associated with the increased risk for multiple chronic diseases; everyone in our nation needs access to healthy foods. Good nutrition makes for a stronger, healthier America.”
Part Section TwoMultifaceted Solutions Harnessing Nutrition, Nature and Equity
Pages: 70
No chapter abstract available.
Chapter 8One Health for All
Pages: 14
“By protecting one, we help protect all.”
Chapter 9Whole Plant Foods Nutrition for Personal and Planetary Resilience
Pages: 15
“Plants are the foundation of all life on the planet. They are also the food of all life”.
Chapter 10Community Approaches to Nutrition Security and Equity
Pages: 10
“Our program focuses on the health benefits of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and other plant-based whole foods as the foundation for a healthy diet. This type of eating pattern is consistently associated with overall longevity and recommended for the prevention and management of many chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”
Chapter 11Bolstering Nature for Planetary Health
Pages: 17
“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they must protect them.”
Chapter 12Empowered to Improve Planetary Health
Pages: 12
“That’s how the world changes. People stand up for what they believe in”.