Food and agriculture
Speeding the ongoing transition to more sustainable food and agricultural systems is critical for achieving long-term climate impact. As much as ⅓ of current greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to these industries. Reducing the carbon footprint of food and agriculture goes hand-in-hand with achieving positive environmental impact in other ways: enabling healthier ecosystems and richer biodiversity, reducing land and water pollution, reversing deforestation and desertification, and others. Improving the sustainability of food and agriculture also benefits humanity, leading to better nutrition and health, while safeguarding long-term economic gains.
Accelerator contacts
Timothy Bouley
Managing Director
Trevor Cambron
Sustainability Technology and Business Analyst
2025 projects
Ten projects were awarded in May 2025 to accelerate progress toward reducing gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions and achieving long-term sustainable gains in food and agriculture. Projects are diverse, employing a range of technical approaches, such as genetic engineering, fermentation, and artificial intelligence, while tackling a range of climate-sensitive challenges: pests, reliance on beef and cattle, unrealized value and pollution from waste side streams, and overuse of nitrogen fertilizers.
Beef and dairy subsidies in the United States – a preliminary cost estimate
Boosting plants’ natural insect defense without compromising yield
Converting waste methane to a scalable business opportunity that advances sustainable food security
Emissions reduction through changes in institutional food procurement and consumption
Fungal fermentation for upcycling waste into climate-smart, nutrient-dense, and delicious foods
Harnessing plasma-activated water for microbial synergy and sustainable crop resilience
Leaves as a scalable source of highly functional protein ingredients for plant-based meat, fish, and dairy foods
Methane emission estimation and detection from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) with computer vision
Scalable solutions for alternative protein products from fungi powered by AI
Synthetic symbioses for nitrogen-fixing crop plants
Recent news
Previously funded projects
In 2022, the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator funded 31 research teams. Several of these multidisciplinary projects advanced sustainability solutions in the area of food and agriculture.
Stanford sustainable fertilizer project
A blue food transformation for the Pacific
Blue foods: Planning grant to co-develop a sustainable, equitable, and climate-smart aquaculture strategy for Africa through the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
