Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41174283›Full record

ArticleNature food2025

Identifying the safe operating space for food systems.

Sofie Te Wierik, Fabrice DeClerck, Arthur Beusen, Dieter Gerten, Federico Maggi, Anna Norberg, Kevin Noone, Lena Schulte-Uebbing, Marco Springmann, Fiona H M Tang and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature food, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Sofie Te WierikPotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany. sofietewierik@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1921-0588
Fabrice DeClerckEAT, Oslo, Norway.
Arthur BeusenPBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0104-8615
Dieter GertenPotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany.
Federico MaggiThe University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7878-8112
Anna NorbergPotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany.
Kevin NooneStockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lena Schulte-UebbingPBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, Netherlands.
Marco SpringmannInstitute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
Fiona H M TangDepartment of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8119-4016
Wim de VriesWageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9974-0612
Detlef van VuurenPBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague, Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0398-2831
Sonja VermeulenSenior Advisor at Clim-Eat. Agro Business Park 10, Wageningen, Netherlands.
Johan RockströmPotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8988-2983

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Global environmental pressures from food systems threaten biodiversity and the stability of the Earth system, yet the safe operating space for food systems is unknown. Here we calculate food system boundaries as shares of planetary boundaries, proposing budgets for the food system across nine boundaries. Our results indicate that food systems are a critical driver of planetary boundary transgressions, dominating at least four transgressed boundaries (that is, biosphere integrity, land system change, freshwater change and biogeochemical flows) while strongly contributing to the transgression of two more (that is, climate change and novel entities). Moreover, global food systems are currently beyond all nine food system boundaries; moving to the safe operating space requires reducing related greenhouse gas emissions substantially, halting the conversion of intact nature to agriculture, redistributing fertilizer inputs, limiting pesticide and antibiotic use, and preserving critical freshwater flows without negatively affecting yields.

Indexed as

Conservation of Natural ResourcesFood SupplyAgricultureBiodiversityClimate ChangeFresh WaterGreenhouse GasesGreenhouse Gases

Identifiers

PMID41174283
PMCPMC12717010

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.