Microalgae offer a potentially large, often untapped source of high-quality nutrition.
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Agriculture accounts for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, and the production of red meat is particularly harmful to the environment and people’s health. Among the proposed alternatives are insects, which are not only nutritious but also easier to grow.
Another sustainable option: algae.
“Agriculture provides the backbone of today’s global food production system; however, its potential to meet the world’s nutritional needs in 2050 is limited,” explained Charles H. Greene, a scientist at the University of Washington. “Marine microalgae can help fill the projected nutritional gap while simultaneously improving overall environmental sustainability and ocean health.”
Greene and her colleague Celina M. Scott-Buechler of Stanford University argue in a paper that investing in algae aquaculture can help meet our nutritional needs while reducing the ecological footprint of food production in same time.
“As a large polyphyletic group with many unstudied species, microalgae offer a potentially large, largely untapped source of high-quality nutrition,” the scientists wrote. “With many species containing protein in excess of 40% of their dry mass, microalgae generally provide a better source of nutritional protein and essential amino acids than terrestrial plants.”
Like seafood, algae provide many important micronutrients, including vitamins, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and various minerals that may be difficult to obtain from other food sources.
“Like soy, microalgae-derived protein powders can be incorporated into supply chains for the production of dairy and meat substitutes as well as pasta and baked goods,” Greene and Scott-Buechler observed.
Importantly, the marine-based microalgae aquaculture industry does not require land and fresh water; nor does it pollute water sources and the marine ecosystem through fertilizer runoff.
However, traditional industries are likely to resist such a shift, scientists warn.
“The financial problems facing a new marine microalgae-based aquaculture industry will be tough because it will have to challenge incumbent industries for market share before the industry is fully mature. its technologies and it will achieve full benefits of scale,” they argue.
“Financial investments and market incentives provided by state and federal governments will help reduce this green premium to level the playing field. The future role of algae-based solutions in achieving global food security and environmental sustainability will depend on actions taken by governments today,” Greene and Scott-Buechler suggest.
