Creating fertilizers from organic waste can help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and promote sustainable production. One way of doing this is through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), which converts biomass into biocrude oil through a high-temperature, high-pressure process. Two studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explore the use of a fungal treatment to convert the leftover wastewater into fertilizer for agricultural crops. 

Urban agriculture has the potential to improve food security through local, efficient, and sustainable food production. Examples of urban food systems include hydroponics, where plants grow in a nutrient solution without soil, and aquaponics, which combines hydroponics with raising fish in tanks.

The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub has been awarded approximately $51 million from the Tech Hubs Program through the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

Organic farming can support soil microorganisms that promote plant defenses and reduce insect pests. But not all organic practices are equally beneficial for soil microbes, and it’s important to understand farmer motivations in order to encourage the adoption of microbiome-supportive efforts.

Two College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) buildings were recognized at an awards ceremony on April 24 for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP). The event honored award recipients for both the 2022 and 2023 academic years. 

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign hosted over 50 students from six Big Ten universities for the 2024 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Midwest Regional Rally from March 21 - 23. 

Hosted annually at rotating locations, the ASABE Midwest Regional Rally is an opportunity for agricultural and biological engineering students from across the region to come together, network with industry professionals, learn about job opportunities in this space, and explore options for graduate school.  

Most organic household waste ends up in landfills where it generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Composting food and garden waste instead of sending it to landfills can significantly reduce methane emissions and help mitigate global warming. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores the effects of curbside compost collection programs in New South Wales, Australia.

Professor Michael Ward has been appointed as the Stuart L. and Nancy J. Levenick Chair in Sustainability in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES), part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). Ward succeeds Professor Emeritus Jeffrey Brawn, who has held the first endowed chair since 2020. 

URBANA, Ill. — A student team from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign took second place in the Institute for Food Technologist’s (IFT) Student Association & Mars Product Development Competition in July. Their winning product was “Churroats,” a churro made from upcycled oat pulp.