The true environmental pressures of our global food system are frequently elusive and challenging to evaluate in an era of industrialised farming and complicated supply chains. University of California, Santa Barbara marine ecologist Ben Halpern said, “Everyone eats food, and more and more people are paying attention to the planetary consequences of what they eat”. Researchers have mapped for the first time the environmental footprint of the production of all foods, both in the ocean and on land. “Cumulative pressures of food production are more concentrated than previously believed, with the vast majority. 92% of pressures from land-based food production concentrated on just 10% of the Earth's surface,” noted Melanie Frazier, a research scientist at NCEAS and co-author of the paper. The study also examines each food type’s environmental efficiency. Additionally, the study reveals connections between land and sea that have a significant impact on environmental pressures. As per researchers, significant changes will need to be made to food systems in order to lessen environmental damage, and improve food security. In some instances, farming may need to become more efficient, while in other instances, consumers may need to alter their food preferences.