Is it possible to feed the planet with healthy diets by reducing the use of land and water? A study conducted by researchers from the Glob3science Lab of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano and published in Nature Sustainability, proposes a global model to optimize the use of agricultural and water resources, making it sustainable to adopt the EAT-Lancet reference diet. The food model is based on scientific principles that aims to improve human health and reduce the environmental impact of food production. It involves a balance of plant-based foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, and a limited amount of animal-based foods. However, until now, it was unclear how the food system would have to be reorganized so that such a diet could be adopted on a global scale without compromising natural resources. Using an agro-hydrological model integrated with optimization analysis, the researchers explored six country-specific dietary scenarios. Crop redistribution and improved trade flows could reduce global crop area and irrigation water use by 37-40%, while enabling the nutritional goals of the EAT-Lancet diet to be met.