We have a constantly growing population.
This means we will need 50% to 70% more food by 2050.
So where are we going to find 50% to 70% more food in only 30 years?
Nature is already building and sustaining all life on Earth.
We don't have to reinvent the wheel, the calories we need
and we eat and we uptake from food comes from the sun
The starting point for all food on Earth is photosynthesis.
Sunlight combines with carbon dioxide and water in plants and forms oxygen and glucose.
This sugar is stored in fruits, roots and vegetables.
One startup in London thinks harnessing photosynthesis
in microscopic plants could go some way to
solving our planet's imminent food crisis.
We have to start with a microalgae strain
They are the fastest-growing, photosynthesizing organism on this planet.
These very tiny microscopic plants contain hundreds and hundreds
of very precious, healthy food molecules
that can be extracted and utilized in our own food.
Microalgaes aren't on many menus yet but they might be the new superfoods
packed full of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals they sustain trillions of animals on our planet.
Arborea claims its technology - the BioSolar Leaf - helps grow this food
at rates rarely seen in nature.
Arborea's BioSolar Leaf looks similar to a solar panel
It's a technology that can produce and can grow
hundreds of different microscopic plants to produce hundreds of different ingredients.
It enables to grow them very quickly but also in a very efficient way
therefore consuming a very little amount of energy
We can produce a lot of protein in a very small surface area. Imagine that we can produce
more protein for a defined surface area than any other plant-based or animal-based
source on this planet by orders of magnitude.
We harvest some of this liquid,
we separate the liquid from the microalgae and then we dry it and usually it's either
in a flake form or a powder form, ready to be shipped to food producers
so they can utilize them in all sorts of food products they want.
Arborea imagines their food being used as a supplement,
or being sold on its own in stores.
There are hundreds of thousands of species of microalgae, all with different qualities,
flavors and even colors - something that could be interesting to food producers.
What we can do with these ingredients that we extract from this microalgae
is that we can utilize them for all sorts of processed food.
It's not only replacing a synthetic or unsustainable food ingredients
But it's also adding health benefits,
active health benefits to our processed food.
Let's say that we have Arborea's 'Big Blue' together with a yogurt.
This yogurt might contain more antioxidant than you find in an apple.
Originally blue was associated with something synthetic,
something unhealthy, right?
Maybe blue is going to become the new color associated with health, why not?
Arborea's powdered food might not look all that appetizing,
but their intention is substance over style.
Feeding our growing population with the right things, in a better way
might improve our chances of future food security.
I strongly believe that if we as humans can harness photosynthesis
then we have high chances to help solve the issues that we are facing today
and that we will face in the future.