News

Reducing global food system emissions key to meeting climate goals

November 9, 2020

Reducing fossil fuel use is essential to stopping climate change, but that goal will remain out of reach unless global agriculture and eating habits are also transformed, according to new research from the University of Minnesota and University of Oxford. Read the full article


Tracing embedded water in US meat and ethanol supply chains

October 28, 2020

Professor Tim Smith and Researcher Taegon Kim contributed to this study. View a video and read about


Conversion of Low Value Byproducts to Biodegradable Bioplastics

October 15, 2020

Professor Simo Sarkanen is researching the conversion of low value byproducts to biodegradable bioplastics


Covid Projects Continue in Abbas Research Lab

October 15, 2020

The Abbas Research Laboratory has three ongoing projects related to SARS-COV2 detection and COVID-19 diagnostics. 


Dr. Zhenong Jin and Team Awarded $1.2million for Research in Soil Nutrient Management

October 12, 2020

Dr. Zhenong Jin leads a $1.2million award to digitize and facilitate sustainable nutrient management in the Midwest


Crop Rotations Improve Environmental Outcomes While Profits Maintain

September 20, 2020

BBE researchers Jason Hill, Natalie Hunt, and Sumil Thakrar found that diversifying crop rotations can reduce environmental damage and harm to human health while keeping farms profitable. Read more at z.umn.edu/CropRotation.


Doug Tiffany receives award for research efforts in fuel ethanol and related topics

September 20, 2020

The award winners, announced by Ethanol Producer Magazine last month, are Doug Tiffany (Award of Excellence recipient) and Doug Durante (High-Octane Award recipient).


Omar Espinoza Publishes Book Titled “International Marketing Practices for Small to Medium Sized Forest Products Firms.”

September 20, 2020

Omar’s book was a collaboration with Robert Smith (Associate Dean and Professor, Virginia Tech) and Anna Pitti, former graduate student in the department now at Westwood.


Welcome to new faculty member Jiayu Li

September 14, 2020

Dr. Li joins us this fall as Assistant Professor of Robotics, Sensors, and Manufacturing in Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Management.

Originally from China, Dr. Li received her bachelor’s at Tsinghua University, then attended Washington University in St. Louis, MO. to pursue her Ph. D. at WashU—Li’s focus was on particulate matter sensors. From there, she went on to pursue her postdoc at Carnegie Mellon University, expanding her research into air quality sensors.


At the Forefront

July 9, 2020

What do oak wilt, zebra mussels and COVID-19 have in common? When it comes to these unrelated and unwelcome invaders, none of them can hide for long from Abdennour Abbas, PhD, and his team in BBE.