Energy-Efficient Systems for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Processing

The agri-food sector represents one of the largest global consumers of energy across its entire value chain—from cultivation and harvesting to processing, packaging, and distribution. At the same time, inefficiencies in energy use and waste management contribute to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, food insecurity, and resource depletion. Recent studies estimate that around one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted, amounting to significant embedded energy losses. With global food demand rising and energy systems under increasing decarbonization pressure, integrating energy-efficient technologies and circular resource flows into agricultural and food processing systems has become an urgent research frontier. Advances are emerging in precision agriculture, low-energy processing, and waste-to-value pathways, yet a systematic transformation toward energy efficiency in the agri-food chain remains fragmented. Bridging this gap requires cross-disciplinary efforts that unite energy systems analysis, process optimization, behavioral studies, and resource management to drive measurable improvements in energy performance and environmental sustainability. This Research Topic aims to explore the energy efficiency dimension of sustainable agriculture and food systems. It seeks to identify strategies that reduce energy intensity across agricultural operations and food processing stages, while valorizing byproducts, minimizing losses, and enhancing system resilience. The central research questions include: How can process optimization and waste reuse improve energy performance? What policies, technologies, and behaviors enable more energy-conscious consumption and production? Can circular economy models in the agri-food sector reduce both energy and material footprints simultaneously? The goal is to bring together multidisciplinary insights—from engineering to environmental science—to enable energy-efficient, low-waste, and economically viable agri-food systems. The scope of this Research Topic covers energy use analysis, conservation technologies, and resource circularity within agro-industrial processes globally, but excludes studies dealing solely with energy conversion devices. To gather further insights into energy-efficient food and agriculture, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes: ○ Energy-efficient technologies in agricultural production, harvesting, and postharvest operations ○ Process optimization and energy management in food manufacturing and storage ○ Integration of renewable energy and waste heat recovery in agri-food systems ○ Modeling and life-cycle assessment of energy consumption in supply chains ○ Behavioral and policy interventions promoting energy conservation and food waste reduction ○ Circular economy approaches for valorizing agri-food waste into energy or high-value products ○ Synergies between energy efficiency, food security, and climate action in rural and urban contexts. Topic editors: Zhuoyu Wang, Md Ariful Haque, Qianqian Dong Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82335/energy-efficient-systems-for-sustainable-agriculture-and-food-processing