Food is approached as a set of relationships linking individuals, societies and the biosphere in The Ecology of Food: Sustainable Food Systems and Diets, edited by Nicolas Bricas, Damien Conaré and Marie Walser. Published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2026, this open-access book brings together contributions from researchers across several disciplines to examine how contemporary food systems developed, their environmental and social limitations, and the changes needed to make them more sustainable. Its ecological perspective seeks to connect issues often addressed separately, from agricultural production and diets to markets, social relations and environmental impacts.

The book traces the origins of industrial agriculture and food supply systems before examining changing dietary habits and their implications. Several chapters critically assess prominent responses to current food-system challenges, including increasing global food production, food fortification, protein consumption, reducing food waste, food aid, home cooking, local production and the role of consumers. Rather than presenting these approaches as universal solutions, the contributors examine their assumptions, limitations and interactions within wider food systems.

The final section considers pathways for transformation through citizen initiatives, alternative business models, research, training and public policy. By bringing together ecological, economic, social and political perspectives, the book emphasizes the importance of understanding food-system transformation as a systemic process involving multiple actors, scales and forms of knowledge.