Code and Dataset: Forest foods for climate, health, and food security in China

Forest-derived foods offer a promising, underused lever for sustainable food systems, yet their system-wide contributions remain poorly quantified. We present the first integrated assessment of China’s forest food system, combining retrospective production data for 2006 to 2020 with scenario projections for 2021 to 2050 under SSP1 to SSP5. By 2035, higher forest food consumption could substitute 6.6% to 7.6% of national grain demand and reduce arable land use by 6.4% to 7.9%, rising to 6.8% to 8.0% and 6.6% to 8.3% by 2050. These dietary shifts could lower nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer use by up to 31% to 33%, 2% to 3%, and 4% to 5%, respectively, and offset up to 17% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, while strengthening forest carbon sinks. Health co-benefits include a 3.2% reduction in cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and a 2.3 to 2.6 year increase in average life expectancy, attributable to the high micronutrient density and low energy content of forest foods. Together, these results indicate that forest-based diets can deliver substantial environmental and health gains while relieving pressure on cropland and agricultural inputs.