In every region of the world, poor diet is a leading cause of both malnutrition and chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and specific cancers.1–3 In 2013, 38.3 million deaths occurred due to chronic diseases globally (70% of all deaths), with most of these deaths occurring in developing countries.4 Anecdotal evidence and more formal evaluations in a limited number of countries suggest that changes in traditional eating patterns and a growing reliance on new types of foods are major drivers of these transitions.

he number of "poor" derived by applying price adjustment to an old consumption basket, which is largely what official poverty measures have done, are very different from estimates based on actual consumption baskets that have changed over time. For instance, the share of cereals in household expenditure halved between 1993-94 and 2011-12 in rural areas. In the light of this, we ask if all expenditure would be on food, what percentage of the population would be unable to meet the prescribed calorie requirement?

Manhattan skyscrapers, rather than rustic rural towns, are quickly becoming the picture of sustainable living in the twenty-first century. San Francisco, Copenhagen and Singapore each top their regions in the Green City Index. As sites of innovation and economic dynamism, these places exemplify a blend of density and livability that large, prosperous cities in the 'global south', such as Mumbai in India and São Paulo in Brazil, increasingly emulate.

We estimate models of consumer food waste awareness and attitudes using responses from a national survey of U.S. residents. Our models are interpreted through the lens of several theories that describe how pro-social behaviors relate to awareness, attitudes and opinions.