The College of Agriculture, Food Science, and Sustainable Systems (CAFSSS) works to uphold the mission of the University through its commitment to research, Extension, and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences. The College is organized around five research divisions: (1) Agriculture and Natural Resources; (2) Aquaculture; (3) Environmental Studies and Sustainable Systems; (4) Food and Animal Sciences; and (5) Family and Consumer Sciences.

The CAFSSS works to resolve agricultural, educational, economic, and social problems of the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, especially limited-resource persons and families. The various programs of the College are supported by federal and state funds. Each of the five research divisions works to fulfill the requirements of the Second Morrill Act of 1890 by advancing the three pillars of the land grant mission: research, cooperative extension, and teaching which Land Grant programs nationwide were founded upon.

The CAFSSS has nationally and internationally recognized research programs in aquaculture (or fish farming), organic agriculture, sustainable biofuel feedstock production, alternative fruit and nut crops, ecological entomology, alternative pesticides and water quality, goat production, obesity and human health, apiculture, and geospatial sciences. The Aquaculture Program, KSU's "Program of Distinction," is widely recognized as a leader in the areas of paddlefish culture, freshwater prawn culture, Koi breeding, production of feed-trained largemouth bass, and fish meal replacement research.

KSU boasts the largest multi-disciplinary organic agriculture program in the 1890's Land Grant system. The program recently released its first pawpaw fruit variety, KSU-Atwood™. Nutritional Sciences and Food Systems researchers are screening produce from small conventional and organic farms for pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance. The Kentucky River Thorobred, KSU's new aquatic vessel, will serve as a laboratory for undergraduate and graduate students and will be used to teach Kentucky River ecology and natural history.

These research programs provide mentoring opportunities for students in degree programs where they work with faculty experienced in cutting edge research techniques in areas important to agricultural, aquaculture, food, and environmental sciences.

The Atwood Research Facility contains 7,000 square feet of office space and 7,000 square feet of laboratory space, including a molecular genetics laboratory and nutrition laboratory. KSU's Aquaculture Research Center (ARC) includes 33 research ponds, a 3,000-square-foot hatchery houses spawning, holding, and experimental tanks, and a 4,000-square-foot office/laboratory building includes a state-of-the-art histology laboratory. The ARC has also introduced a new Production Technology Building that includes a state-of-the-art genetics laboratory, and a 10,000 square foot wet lab for the study and development of aquaponics,

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