Research

My research program is dedicated to developing system-level strategies to transform food systems toward sustainability, which demands rigorous evaluation of both existing supply chains and emerging innovations. Leveraging process simulation, life-cycle assessment (LCA), technoeconomic analysis (TEA), and sustainability analysis, my group generates actionable insights into different approaches for advancing the sustainability of food systems.

 

Motivations

  • Feeding 10 billion people sustainably by 2050 requires >50% increase in food production
  • Current agri-food production demands significant natural resource inputs
  • Food system is responsible for approximately 1/3 of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

mpty sentence for the blank purpose

Theme 1: Enhancing resilience of existing food systems

Current food systems are challenged to provide sufficient and nutritious food while minimizing their environmental impacts. Accelerating decarbonization in the food and beverage industry is critical to reducing GHG emissions, as this sector accounts for approximately one-third of total anthropogenic emissions globally. To enhance the resilience of today’s food system, we have been exploring various strategies as listed below.

Completed projects:
  • Integration of biogas upgrading and CO2 mineralization for sustainable production. (Role: Co-PI. Funding agency: DOE. 2024-2025)
  • Comparative sustainability analysis of waste valorization pathways. (Role: PI. Funding agency: CAPPS. 2024-2026)
Ongoing projects:
  • Sustainable packaging for the dairy food industry. (Role: PI. Sponsor: Alamance Food Inc. 2024-2027)

                                                             Atkare et al., 2026. DOI: 10.1039/D6FB00059B

  • Cold chain management of fluid milk. (Role: Co-PI. Funding agency: NC Agricultural Foundation. 2025-2027)
  • Cold plasma innovations in drying pretreatment. (Role: Co-PI. Funding agency: USDA NIFA. 2025-2028)
  • Optimization of recirculated produce wash systems. (Role: Co-PI. Funding agency: USDA SCBP. 2026-2028)

Theme 2: Innovative approaches for protein production

Beyond improving the sustainability of today’s food systems, we are actively shaping the future of food through innovation in novel food production, with a particular focus on sustainable proteins. To illuminate the path forward, we perform in-depth sustainability analyses of both conventional animal proteins and emerging alternative proteins.

Completed project:
  • Nutrition-based LCA of animal-source foods. (Role: PI. Funding agency: NCSU Animal Health & Nutrition Consortium. 2024-2025)                                               Atkare et al., 2026.  DOI:10.1016/j.spc.2025.12.008
Ongoing projects:
  • Life-cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) for plant proteins. (Role: PI. Funding agency: USDA NIFA. 2024-2027)
  • LCA/TEA for sustainable proteins. (Role: PI. Funding agency: Bezos Center for Sustainable Proteins at NC State. 2024-2029)
  • Improving P footprint in sustainable proteins. (Role: Co-PI. Funding agency: STEPS Center. 2025-2027)
  • Nutrition-based LCA for pulse consumption across U.S. diets. (Role: PI. Funding agency: USDA ARS. 2026-2027)
  • Recombinant chromoproteins for synthetic food colorants. (Role: Co-PI. Funding agency: USDA NIFA. 2026-2030)