As conversations continue to build among policymakers and industry leaders on how to best address nutrient runoff, energy transition and sustainable waste management in the Great Lakes region, Michigan State University scientists are pioneering solutions that transform organic waste into a public asset.

On May 15, George Smith, director of MSU AgBioResearch, and Wei Liao, director of the MSU Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center (ADREC), testified in front of the Michigan House Agriculture Committee that through cutting-edge anaerobic digestion research and deployment, MSU researchers are demonstrating how agricultural and food waste can be harnessed to produce clean energy, recover valuable resources and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Anaerobic digestion is a natural biological process in which microorganisms break down organic materials — such as livestock manure and food waste — in the absence of oxygen. The result is the production of biogas, primarily composed of methane and carbon dioxide, and a nutrient-rich byproduct known as digestate.