UMass Amherst is launching a $120 million effort to address real-world concerns as the global food system faces critical challenges related to climate change and sustainability, food safety and a growing population expected to reach 10 billion people by 2050. The initiative will include a new 36,000 square foot research facility, a multidisciplinary collaborative research center, an endowed chair in food science and three endowed faculty positions who will examine crucial questions about the future of our global food system.

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The Future of Food Initiative will be funded from four $30 million tranches: generous donors, Paul and Diane Manning, through their family foundation; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; UMass Amherst; and an additional $30 million to be raised by the UMass Amherst Foundation.

“UMass Amherst—with the nation’s  number-one programs in food science and agriculture sciences and distinguished programs in engineering, public health, computer science, design, business and other areas, along with its innovative campus dining program—is uniquely positioned to solve the biggest, most critical challenges facing the world’s food system and promote innovative and transformative solutions to capitalize on opportunities that benefit of the common good,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier A. Reyes. “UMass is committed to supporting cutting-edge research, providing hands-on student training and fostering external partnerships to drive transformative solutions that strengthen climate-resilient agriculture, expand food equity and production, and create a healthier, more sustainable future of food for all.”

“Massachusetts’ world-class universities are one of our greatest strengths, driving the innovation and breakthroughs that improve people’s lives and grow our economy,” said Governor Maura Healey. “UMass Amherst’s Future of Food Initiative is a powerful example of that leadership. By bringing together researchers and partners across disciplines, this initiative will tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our food system, create new opportunities here in Massachusetts and help build a safer, healthier and more sustainable future.”
 

“UMass Amherst’s Food of the Future Initiative is taking an important step toward addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing our food system, from a growing global population to climate change, sustainability and food safety,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This initiative not only advances critical research, but also gives UMass Amherst students the opportunity to learn, contribute and help shape the solutions we need to build a stronger, more sustainable food system for the future.”

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The $30 million gift from Paul Manning (’77, '24 HON), the chair and chief executive officer of PBM Capital, and his wife Diane through their family foundation, are supporting the university’s research on some of the most important issues of our day by helping bring interdisciplinary solutions to more people, faster, and in a way that will transform the entire food industry.

“Diane and I have always believed in investing in people and ideas that have the potential to make a real difference,” said Paul Manning. “Food touches everyone, and there are enormous opportunities to improve how we produce it, make it safer and healthier, and better understand the connection between food and human health. UMass has the talent and expertise to tackle these challenges and, more importantly, turn great ideas into solutions that can have real impact. We’re excited to help give them the resources to think big, move faster and make a difference.”

The funds will expand the impact of teaching and research centered on food through strategic investment in:

• A new, state-of-the-art  36,000 square foot “Paul and Diane Manning Food Innovation Hub” that is slated to break ground on campus in late 2027 and will augment capabilities for research, innovation and product development; sustainable process development; food safety and sensory analysis; consumer feedback; food entrepreneur training; and workshops.  Attached to Chenoweth Laboratory, the building will feature sensory testing labs, innovation kitchens, a food-grade pilot plant, clinical testing lab, a food demonstration kitchen and research “collaboratories”; and
   
• Establish five permanent endowments, including a chair in Food Science, interdisciplinary professorships and a catalyst fund that will drive groundbreaking research and innovation for generations to come.

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“This is an investment in Massachusetts as much as it is an investment in UMass Amherst,” said Stephen Karam, chair of the UMass Board of Trustees. “Food and agriculture are one of the Commonwealth's greatest opportunities, and this initiative will enable UMass to lead on its behalf with talented graduates, groundbreaking research, and significant commercialization. I want to express my deep gratitude to Paul and Diane Manning for their generous philanthropy, and to President Meehan and Chancellor Reyes for their exceptional leadership. I also want to praise the world-class faculty at UMass Amherst, as their work is what brought this initiative to fruition.”

“Food is a $2.5 trillion dollar industry and a research frontier. It is one of the few areas that brings together multiple disciplines – biology, engineering, education, data science, public health – and there is no university better positioned to lead this initiative than UMass Amherst, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation for agricultural and food science and top 10 in the world,” said UMass President Marty Meehan. “We are extremely appreciative of Paul and Diane Manning’s transformational gift, which reflects a deep confidence in university’s mission and research capabilities. This historic donation – the second largest gift in UMass Amherst’s history - will enable UMass Amherst to continue to lead the nation to find solutions to address the enormous challenges ahead such as the impacts of climate change on agriculture, feeding a growing world population, and better addressing connections between nutrition and public health.” Over the next decade, the global food ecosystem will undergo profound transformation driven by a number of factors including AI robotics, novel protein sources, precision nutrition, advanced chemistry, packaging and safety technologies, food pathogens, biofilms, advanced manufacturing and sustainable food production, food safety and water management.

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“With a changing environment and a growing global population, the future of food and agriculture is one of the most critical grand challenges facing our planet,” said Mike Fox, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. “UMass Amherst is preparing to lead the nation in providing innovative solutions to real-world problems associated with food production, food safety, food sustainability, and foods for health and wellness.”

As part of this initiative, the university will create the Center for the Future of Food (CFF), led by interim director Peter Reinhart, as an organizational structure that brings together the university’s faculty in top ranked, award-winning food science, agricultural sciences, nutrition, dining services programs and external partners with the translational research infrastructure of the Institute of Applied Life Sciences (IALS) to explore broadly all aspects of the future of food: health and wellness, food safety and security, food chemistry, new types of foods, food processing and everything involving food cultivation including soil cultivation, seed effectiveness, clean water and food production.

“Food affects every aspect of our lives, from health and wellness to economic development and environmental sustainability,” said Reinhart, interim director of the Center for the Future of Food and director of IALS. “Through this historic investment, UMass Amherst is creating a national model for interdisciplinary collaboration that will drive innovation across the entire food ecosystem. Our goal is not only to generate new knowledge, but to transform that knowledge into technologies, products and practices that improve lives and strengthen food systems around the world.”

The CFF will respond to major shifts in the food ecosystem with significant societal and economic relevance including climate pressures, AI and robotics enabled production, precision/personalized nutrition and increased demand for food as medicine solutions.

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“UMass Amherst’s Future of Food initiative is a double win. It leverages the university’s outstanding commitments to cutting-edge excellence and interdisciplinary research, teaching, and learning to benefit scientific advancement, food security, public health, economic growth, and the common good,” said State Sen. Jo Comerford. “And, it has the potential to be of significant benefit to the farmers, food producers, and innovators in western and north central Massachusetts, lifting, expanding, and energizing all sectors with every one of its leaps forward.”

“UMass Amherst’s Future of Food Initiative is a meaningful and timely response to the food crisis and to the challenges we face in researching, producing, distributing, and ensuring access to food. It represents the best of the commonwealth as it leverages the university’s resources and expertise and engages our agricultural and research sectors in a unique and exciting partnership. I’m thrilled it will be based at the Amherst campus, where it will be rooted in the institution’s history and leadership in agricultural education and food science, while benefitting our region and beyond,” said State Representative Mindy Domb.

As a land-grant institution, food and agriculture are deeply rooted in the university’s history. Amherst was selected as the university’s site over 160 years ago so that the university would be anchored near farms and farmers and (at least in part) to bring novel technology and education to the food system. The campus now also includes the Cranberry Station in East Wareham— a vital research and outreach facility dedicated exclusively to supporting and protecting the state's cranberry industry, which contributes $1.4 billion in economic activity annually—and the Gloucester Marine Station that connects the university’s science with ocean conservation, sustainable seafood and coastal community resilience.

Massachusetts represents approximately 45% of New England’s food system jobs and sales, thereby positioning the university to play a pivotal role in regional food security, workforce development and industry innovation. The food and agriculture sector has been one of the only clusters in our region with sustained growth over the past decade.

A recent report by the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council identified “food science, non-pharmaceutical biomanufacturing and the food ecosystem” as a top economic development opportunity for the Pioneer Valley region and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This investment will lift the regional economy by attracting and growing new business; buttress local food industry and local farmers; expand the pipeline of trained talent for the food industry; and support adjacent industries such as renewable energy, animal feed and biomanufacturing.

Demonstrating the depth and breadth of this initiative, current and future partners include the following leaders at UMass: 

• “Food carries memory, tradition and the ties that hold communities together,” said Maria del Guadalupe Davidson, dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. “Our college offers faculty expertise in food pathways, language, history, Indigenous food systems and sustainability, and students prepared to bring those perspectives to this initiative. The college looks forward to working with colleagues across campus to support this vital work.”
   
• “To learn well, our children must be fed well. Our relationship with the future of food will hinge on our understanding of sustainable food production, nutrition and health,” said Greg Kelly, dean of the College of Education. “We look forward to the improvements this research center will bring to the nutrition supplied to school children at home and across the world.
   
• “Computing will play an essential role in shaping the future of food,” said Keith Marzullo, dean of the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences. “From AI- and robotics-enabled production to new approaches at the intersection of food, health and sustainability, this initiative creates an opportunity to bring computing together with UMass Amherst’s extraordinary strengths across disciplines. By working collaboratively, we can accelerate discoveries that lead to healthier, more sustainable food systems and meaningful real-world impact.”
   
• “At the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, we see tremendous potential to contribute to the Future of Food Initiative through our expertise in hospitality, travel and tourism; marketing, entrepreneurship, sustainability, logistics and operations, and supply chain management,” said Anne P. Massey, Ph.D., dean of the Isenberg School of Management and the Thomas O’Brien Endowed Chair. “By working across disciplines and alongside industry partners, we can help develop the talent, business models and market strategies needed to translate innovation into economic growth, new ventures and stronger—and healthier—communities across Massachusetts and beyond.
   
• “Engineering plays a crucial role in shaping the global food system. Through this cross-cutting campus initiative, we have an extraordinary opportunity to translate discoveries into real-world solutions that are essential for health, safety and sustainability, all while fostering regional economic development,” said Sanjay Raman, the Daniel J. Riccio Jr. Dean of Engineering. “At the Riccio College of Engineering, we contribute to several key areas at the intersection of technology, food and human health: biomanufacturing and precision food processing; food safety and hazard mitigation through advanced sensors and biomaterials; sustainable packaging and waste valorization strategies for a circular economy; and the application of systems engineering and artificial intelligence to optimize food production and distribution networks. We are excited to bring our expertise to the UMass Amherst Future of Food initiative.”
   
• “Meeting the challenges facing our global food system requires scientific and technological breakthroughs, but it also requires understanding the economic and human decisions that determine whether those innovations succeed,” said R. Karl Rethemeyer, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “UMass Amherst’s strength in economics, particularly resource economics, brings critical expertise in food markets, consumer behavior, environmental and natural resource economics, and public policy. By bringing these perspectives together with expertise from across the university, the Future of Food Initiative can help turn innovation into solutions that are sustainable, economically viable and capable of improving people’s lives.”
   
• “Food is a cornerstone of Western Massachusetts’s economy, and on this campus, we’re preparing the next generation of food leaders to think sustainably, prioritize safety and advance health equity across the commonwealth,” said Anna Maria Siega-Riz, dean, School of Public Health and Health Sciences. “That commitment has been central to our Food as Medicine work, especially through efforts like our Healthcare Culinary Conference, where we’re helping physicians and healthcare providers understand food systems, ingredient sourcing and how to make informed nutritional recommendations based on their patients’ medical needs.”
   
• “Food is life. Food brings people and communities together; that’s the idea behind ‘Food for the Common Good,’” said Ken Toong, assistant vice chancellor of Auxiliary Enterprises. “With our award-winning culinary team, our students as a living laboratory, and our distinguished faculty, the UMass Amherst Future of Food Initiative has the potential to be the most consequential campus project in a generation. By strengthening local food systems, expanding access to global cuisines, leveraging technology to reduce food waste, and partnering with manufacturers committed to the same goals, we can help change how the world eats and achieve our mission of healthy, sustainable and delicious food for all.”
   
• “This transformative gift from Paul and Diane will support scientific research that improves lives. It will bring researchers from multiple disciplines together to develop solutions to critical challenges in food and agriculture, advance the food industry, and improve nutrition,” says UMass Amherst Foundation President Arwen Duffy. “As the funding model for university research shifts, their philanthropy underscores the vital role private support plays in ensuring that UMass Amherst researchers can pursue new ideas and discoveries for the common good.”