Sustainable Purchasing Research Initiative co-founder Nicole Darnall was interviewed for a National Geographic article, "Global Survey Says We're Eating Better, But Our Diet Is Still Unsustainable." Citing a recent Greendex survey by the National Geographic Society and consulting firm GlobeScan, the article says that while humans are eating healthier diets, they are not necessarily consuming their foods in a sustainable way.

The Greendex survey is an “international research approach to measure and monitor consumer progress towards environmentally sustainable consumption.” The research project is unique in that it is centered on actual behavior and lifestyles, as opposed to other projects that typically focus on attitudes and concern. The results from this year found a significant improvement in the eating habits of 11 countries, with India taking its usual spot at the top in regards to food sustainability. Interestingly enough, the results of the survey also showed that “consumers in most English-speaking countries and in Sweden were less interested in how their food was produced than people elsewhere.”

School of Sustainability Associate Dean and Senior Sustainability Scholar Darnall wasn’t surprised at this. She spoke to National Geographic, saying: "We haven't seen broad, sweeping laws that would radically change how consumers interact with food. We subsidize traditional food production in a way we don't subsidize natural and organic foods. It’s easier for the developing world to consider alternatives because they’re more nimble and less entrenched than we are.”