Our interdisciplinary, international team develops holistic solutions that focus on all areas of the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus, enhancing climate resilience and protecting global public health.
Defining the FEW Nexus
What do we mean by food-energy-water systems?
- No food can be grown without water and energy
- Wastewater treatment requires energy and electricity generation requires vast amounts of water
- Energy should be sourced sustainably in ways that don't increase climate change
The FEW nexus approaches sustainable food production by integrating these three essential resources. We can engineer more efficient ways to irrigate crops, such as drip irrigation and rainwater capture. We can integrate renewable energy systems, such as solar arrays, biogas, and small-scale hydropower, so that food is produced with less climate impact. And we can produce a variety of nutritious food that supports public health while nurturing local ecosystems through biodiversity and permaculture forest cover.
Read more about how we integrate FEW resources across our four global locations in this ArcGIS Storymap.
Our Storymap
Third Annual Symposium in Nepal!
We're delighted to announce that our third annual symposium will take place at Kathmandu University, Nepal, June 29-30, 2026!
Theme: Closing the Loop: Integrating Recycled Water, Renewable Energy, and Agricultural Innovation for Climate-Resilient Sustainable Development.
Please join us for a 2-day series of talks, posters, food, and enrichments at the foothills of the Himalayas. There will also be an online Zoom option to attend the talks.
More details and registration can be found on our symposium website.
Symposium Page
UMD Global STEWARDS Graduate Research
Our UMD Global STEWARDS graduate students are innovative researchers in Food-Energy-Water science!
This first of a series of short videos captures the essence of their research: The what, how, and why of FEW nexus science. Check it out!
Logan Trautwein, Claire Keanna, Masuka Straton, Xue Yin
UMD Global STEWARDS Graduate Research
UPES Community Garden Wins Grant
In a partnership with the Prince George's County Public Schools and the Town of University Park, we're happy to announce that the University Park Elementary School Community Garden was awarded a Sustainable Maryland Action Grant of $20,000 to support garden development in our first growing season in 2026!
This includes fencing, an outdoor classroom with benches and a white board, and garden tools to get these K-5 students outside with friends, having fun and learning how to grow nutritious food. We recently planted the first spring crops in the beds: kale, chard, carrots, and fava beans.
The UPES Community Garden is also supported by UMD Arts for All and the Whole Kids Foundation.
Maryland Today Profile
Water Treatment Unit Arrives in Nepal
Safe irrigation water is within reach!
The Laguna Innovation off-grid wastewater treatment unit has arrived at Namobuddha Secondary School in Nepal. The machine in this picture will receive wastewater from the school, treat it using algae and agitation, and provide safe irrigation water for adjacent food plots!
This technology shows the food-energy-water nexus in action: solar panels power the purification and reuse of wastewater to support nutritious food production.
Special recognition for Shree Krishna Dhital, Clive Lipchin, and Leena Malayil, the leaders of this initiative!
Wastewater Treatment
Sanskriti Farms Wins WASH Award
Sanskriti Farms & Research Center (SFRC) has been awarded the prestigious Gopal Kamala Rajbhandari Rotary Award in WASH! This award recognizes its outstanding contributions to rainwater harvesting and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives in Nepal.
This achievement underscores the growing importance of integrated water resource management approaches in Nepal, particularly in the context of climate change and increasing pressure on natural resources.
Himal Press Full Story
Register Today: Our Coursera MOOC
Our Global FEWture: Cultivating Food-Energy-Water Solutions is our new Coursera offering.
Through four accessible modules, our global team of experts teaches the systems dynamics, local challenges, and global solutions to providing food, energy, and water amid a changing climate.
The course will be of interest to farmers, community organizers, public health scientists, agricultural scientists, environmental engineers, and students across disciplines. Please join us by enrolling in the first module for free!
Coursera MOOC
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