The High Cost of Our Diet: A Recipe for Extinction?

Our food system, the very foundation of human life, is a significant contributor to the global biodiversity crisis. The Food Foundation's briefing, "The Nature and Biodiversity Cost of Our Diets: A Recipe for Extinction?", highlights the profound link between what we eat and the escalating loss of nature and species. The report emphasises that this crisis is not just an environmental issue but a financial one, posing a severe threat to the economy, food security, and human well-being.

Here are the key takeaways from the briefing:

• Biodirectional Relationship: Food production is damaging to biodiversity, and conversely, the loss of biodiversity poses a major threat to food production and security.

  
  

• Economic Risk: Nature loss is projected to reduce UK GDP growth by 6% to 12% in the 2030s, a decline greater than the 2008 financial crisis or the COVID-19 pandemic.

  
  

• A Diet for Extinction: Our diets, particularly those high in animal-source foods, are a primary driver of biodiversity loss and habitat destruction. Shifting to more plant-based diets has the potential to mitigate this harm⁵. For example, in the UK, a shift to a plant-based diet could reduce the projected number of species extinctions linked to our current eating habits by 58%.

  
  

• Opportunity for Action: Acting swiftly to protect nature could unlock significant business and innovation opportunities, estimated at $10 trillion in value and creating 395 million jobs globally by 2030⁷. The cost of failing to act now far exceeds the cost of taking action.

  
  

How Ample Can Help

At Ample, we believe that a healthy planet and a healthy economy are two sides of the same coin. We recognise that transforming our food systems is not only a necessity but a tremendous opportunity.

Ample is uniquely positioned to help businesses and consumers address the challenges laid out in this report. By leveraging innovative agri-tech solutions, we support regenerative and precision agriculture practices that enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and reduce the need for harmful chemical inputs.

We also understand the power of informed consumer choice. By providing data-driven insights and promoting plant-rich foods, Ample helps businesses meet consumer demand for sustainable products while reducing their environmental footprint. This approach not only aligns with the shift towards more sustainable diets but also contributes to the resilience and efficiency of the entire food value chain.

Through our commitment to transparency and innovation, Ample helps our partners and customers turn nature-related risks into opportunities, contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.

Learn More: To read the complete findings and detailed analysis, you can download the full briefing from The Food Foundation website: TFF_Biodiversity Briefing https://foodfoundation.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-08/TFF_Biodiversity%20briefing.pdf