**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** U.S. FOOD LOSS AND WASTE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS. THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE HAS BEEN FELT IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD. THE NEED FOR NET-ZERO GLOBAL GHG EMISSIONS HAS BEEN WELL RECOGNIZED AND IS BEING ADVOCATED BY MANY NATIONS, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES. THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN THE FOOD AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS IN ACADEMIA, TO DEVELOP ENERGY EFFICIENT FOOD TECHNOLOGIES, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, AND SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING FOOD LOSS AND WASTE THROUGHOUT THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN. HOWEVER, SUCH DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS ARE DIVERSE AND SCATTERED IN FOOD COMPANIES AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. THERE IS A NEED TO INTEGRATE THOSE EFFORTS AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD PROCESSING SYSTEMS.THE CONFERENCE OF FOOD ENGINEERING (COFE) IS THE IDEAL PLATFORM TO BRING TOGETHER FOOD ENGINEERS, FOOD AND MATERIAL SCIENTISTS, INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, AND THOUGHT LEADERS TO EXCHANGE THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS, TECHNOLOGICAL AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENTS, AND SHARE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO IDENTIFY PATHS FORWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND THE NATIONAL GOAL OF ACHIEVING NET-ZERO GHG EMISSIONS. THE THEME OF THE 2024 COFE IS ADVANCING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD MANUFACTURING AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN. THE CONFERENCE WILL EXAMINE CURRENT AND EMERGING FOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION FROM A SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE WITH A COMMITMENT TO THE LARGER GOAL OF ACHIEVING NET-ZERO GHG EMISSIONS. COFE WILL PROMOTE CONVERGENCE BY BRINGING IN LEADING EXPERTS AND THOUGHT LEADERS FROM WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE FOOD ENGINEERING COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES AND TO ALSO PRESENT A VALUABLE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE FOOD ENGINEERS.THIS CONFERENCE WILL BRING TOGETHER A TEAM OF EXPERTS AND PROFESSIONALS TO DISCUSS CURRENT AND EMERGING FOOD MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABLE SOURCING OF FOOD AND PACKAGING MATERIALS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY. THE MEETING WILL ENCOURAGE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT RESEARCH COMMUNITIES AND THE INDUSTRY TO FILL KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADOPTION OF ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES AND PACKAGING MATERIALS. THE CONFERENCE WILL INSPIRE STUDENTS AND YOUNG RESEARCHERS TO PURSUE ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS THAT WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO CONTINUOUSLY DELIVER SAFE, NUTRITIOUS, AND SUSTAINABLE FOODS.