Neil: Hello. This is 6 Minute English from
BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
Sam: And I’m Sam.
Neil: In this programme, we’ll be looking
at an unusual food called microalgae and
asking whether eating algae might be
better for our health and the health of the
planet. And of course, we’ll be looking at
some of the
related vocabulary along the way.
Sam: Yuck! I’m not sure about eating
algae, Neil! I mean, what’s the strangest
thing you’ve ever eaten?
Neil: Well, I once tried fried stick insect
in Thailand… and I’ve had ants, as well,
that were from Colombia.
Sam: Ah, OK, yeah – both fairly strange
for us here in the UK. But what about
pond scum, Neil?
Neil: Pond scum? Pond scum is the slang
name for microalgae - green plant
organisms, such as spirulina, which grow
in water - like ponds and look a bit slimy
or scummy before being dried. Here,
we’re talking about edible algae, meaning
it’s OK to eat. Sam: More than OK, in fact
– these types of food algae are actually
good for your body! Microalgae like
spirulina and chlorella are packed full of
proteins, vitamins and antioxidants.
Because they are so healthy, they’re
having a moment right now, meaning they
are becoming more well-known and
popular. Neil: Yes, microalgae is trending
just now and for good reasons, which
we’ll find out about later. But first, let me
ask you our quiz question. What do the
following three things have in common:
oceans, snow and my garden patio? Is it…
a) They are all good places to relax.
b) They are all very cold.
c) They are all places where microalgae
grow. Sam: Well, I know that oceans and
snow are made up of water… but your
garden patio?
Did your barbeque get rained off again,
Neil? Neil: No, not quite, Sam! Well,
hopefully you’ll know by the end of the
programme. Now, I mentioned before that
microalgae is sometimes called a
superfood - a type of food which is
essentially full of healthy vitamins,
minerals and nutrients. But microalgae is
not the first superfood to become
popular. Sam: That’s right. In the early
2010s, many juice bars started popping
up in places around
the world selling green smoothies -
energy drinks made by blending healthy
ingredients like kale, chard and spinach.
The recent trend for microalgae and
spirulina has been promoted
in part by big drinks companies wanting
to sell the latest brightly coloured
smoothies. Neil: And more and more,
spirulina is also being used as a cooking
ingredient – in hot dogs and meatballs –
and as a protein-rich substitute for eggs
in pasta and mayonnaise.
Sam: But as well as all these health
benefits, there’s another advantage to
microalgae superfoods - one that could
potentially benefit the whole planet. BBC
Radio 4’s The Food Programme asked
Professor Alison Smith, Head
of Plant Sciences at Cambridge
University, to explain:
Alison Smith: As the population of the
world increases and the land that’s
available for agriculture is becoming
stretched, there’s an interest in trying to
increase productivity by other means…so
sustainable intensification of agriculture
is one way… Neil: So food security is an
issue - making sure enough nutritionally-
rich food is produced to feed the growing
world population. Alison Smith says the
amount of agricultural land available for
growing food is becoming stretched,
meaning there are not enough resources,
in this case farm land, to meet everyone’s
needs. Sam: Yes, and she mentions that
one possible solution is sustainable
intensification of
agriculture - which means increasing food
production in ways which don’t damage
the environment or use new land.
Neil: Well, we know that microalgae are
superfoods, nutritionally rich in vitamins
and protein, but how do they help reduce
the need for agricultural land? Alison
Smith explains: Alison Smith: “…they can
be grown in all sorts of locations – in
water, in oceans, ponds, lakes and so on,
even on your patio and on snow… so one
of the possibilities is to produce these
organisms in cities and towns because
they don’t need the open landscape
to be grown.”
Sam: I think I’ve spotted the answer to
your quiz question, Neil.
Neil: Oh yes? I asked what oceans, snow
and my patio have in common.
a) They are all good places to relax
b) They are all very cold
c) They are all places where microalgae
grow Sam: The answer is c ) - places
where microalgae can grow! What an
amazing plant! I think I’m going to stop
calling it pond scum and use
the correct scientific name Prof Smith
mentioned, organisms. Neil: Today’s
programme was all about microalgae
like spirulina, a green, edible food algae
which some people call pond scum,
although scientifically speaking it’s an
organism, meaning an animal or plant life
form. Sam: Yes, and this plant life form is
also called a superfood, because it’s
especially rich in vitamins, minerals and
nutrients which promote good health.
Neil: Superfoods are having a moment
right now, meaning they’re becoming
more popular or trending because they’re
so healthy. Sam: And another benefit of
microalgae is that it grows almost
anywhere. So it doesn’t use much
agricultural land, which is becoming
stretched, meaning there’s not enough of
it to meet the world’s food needs.
Sustainable intensification is another
possible solution to this problem,
because it is a way of increasing
food production without harming the
environment or using new land. Don’t
forget you can find lots more learning
materials and topical vocabulary on our
website at bbclearningenglish.com.
Please join us again soon. Bye for now!
Neil: Bye!