Photo by Mihály Köles on Unsplash
Experts say algae is the food of the future. Here's why.
Rachel Crane, CNN Fisheries & Aquaculture
The average American male consumes 100 grams of protein daily -- almost double the necessary amount. This overconsumption isn't sustainable. The United Nations projects food production will need to increase as much as 70% by 2050 to feed an extra 2.5 billion people.
To survive, we need to reinvent the way we farm and eat. Experts say algae could be a possible solution. Unlike most crops, it doesn't require fresh water to flourish. That's a big deal. About 70% of the planet's available fresh water goes toward crops and raising livestock.
Meat uses up a lot of our finite resources, like water and land, not just for the animals but to grow their food, too. But the green slimy stuff that lives in oceans, ponds and aquariums can grow fast, is packed with nutrition and needs next to nothing to grow. It can even grow in a desert.
Several weeks ago, I visited algae farm Green Stream Farms in the sleepy town of Columbus, New Mexico, a stone's throw away from the Mexican border. With a location that feels like you're in the middle of nowhere and a population of 1,600, you'd never expect this is where the food of the future comes from.
But that's where wellness company iWi is growing a strain of algae on a massive scale. The farm has green seas as far as the eye could see. The entire farm is 900 acres -- 98 of which are currently being cultivated -- and operates all year round.
Read the full article here
← Older Post Newer Post →