New Mexico State University has been a driver of agricultural innovation and research since its founding in 1888.
To build on that legacy, the New Mexico Legislature and NMSU established an interdisciplinary research and education institute in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences focused on advancing sustainable agriculture and food systems.
NMSU's Center of Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems, or CESFAS, brings together experts from animal, plant, food, social sciences and other fields to address complex challenges across the entire food system. It runs on a mission to build a resilient agricultural economy in New Mexico through innovative interdisciplinary research that supports value-added agriculture.
Since its founding in 2019, CESFAS has emerged as a key driver of innovation and economic development in the state's agricultural sector. CESFAS-affiliated faculty have generated more than $49 million in competitive proposal activity and secured more than $7 million in external funding, while providing hands-on training for students and fostering strong partnerships with industry and community stakeholders.
"Over the past several years, CESFAS has significantly expanded its impact by increasing student engagement, growing research productivity and strengthening its external funding portfolio," said F. Omar Holguin, an associate professor who became the center's first solo director in February 2025. "Through its integrated model that connects research, education and outreach, CESFAS is advancing value-added agriculture and building a more resilient and sustainable food system for New Mexico."
Today, CESFAS has grown into an operation of 20 faculty and staff members. It encompasses NMSU's Food Safety Laboratory and Wine Quality Analysis Service, which provide a host of critical testing and research services for industry partners. Much of its work centers on post-harvest, value-added agriculture – the concept of transforming raw agricultural products into new or improved products with higher economic value.
"CESFAS has gone from a very general direction to a very focused direction," Holguin said, "and we're now working to create new opportunities that increase the value of our agricultural commodities."
CESFAS is currently supporting 10 projects. Researchers working with jujubes, for example, are experimenting with value-added product development to make the drought-tolerant fruit more marketable in the United States. A separate team is conducting research to better understand the supply chain of value-added providers and service providers within the agricultural and food distribution sectors of New Mexico.
Groups are also working to develop low-calorie, natural sweeteners from
inexpensive and abundant carbohydrates and to improve beef tallow for use in fast-food restaurants.
In 2025, CESFAS launched an internship program for students to gain professional work experience at value-added companies in New Mexico, building on its goal to educate and train students through hands-on experiences. CESFAS has supported a total of 38 students with internships, assistantships and research work.
"A key part of our mission is providing education and training for students and supporting economic and community development in New Mexico," Holguin said.
On top of prioritizing post-harvest research, Holguin wants CESFAS to maintain and deepen its faculty-driven culture, where faculty feel supported and empowered to freely share their expertise. He is also working to create relationships with research institutions and national labs throughout the Southwest and Mexico – all in an effort to build on the center's legacy of success established by his predecessors, Natalie Goldberg, Priscilla Bloomquist, Efren Delgado and Jay Lillywhite.
Among those successes, Holguin pointed to a controlled agriculture project at NMSU's Grants campus. In 2021, CESFAS was one of the key players that helped bring a container farm to the campus in rural northwest New Mexico. The facility has since become an important learning tool for studying indoor agriculture.
That early success led to a similar project on the Las Cruces campus. In 2024, CESFAS brought together more than 60 students from NMSU's College of Engineering and Doña Ana Community College to build a container farm designed to help reduce food insecurity in rural and underserved communities.
Holguin envisions a bright future for CESFAS. He expects continued growth in high-impact research and training activities, which will ultimately benefit the state and the surrounding region. He and others are proud of what the center has become.
"CESFAS is a vital and trusted research center that benefits the entire state of New Mexico. Our interdisciplinary research teams are focused on improving the state's agriculture, working every day to build better, more efficient agricultural production and value-added processing systems," College of ACES Dean Rolando A. Flores Galarza said. "CESFAS is a complement to our new facilities that were funded by general obligation bonds passed in 2018 and 2020. CESFAS is now giving back to the New Mexico voters who approved these bonds. The importance of CESFAS and its work cannot be overstated."
The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-s-center-of-excellence-addresses-new-mexico-s-critical-agricultural-needs/s/e2f9d0ba-84ab-445d-ac12-8c51c2055d37
