We have heard about a gluten free diet and a vegan based diet or even a protein-based diet. I am not going to lie but almost every year, there is one new option in the food industry for consumers to solely base their eating habits on. Before you know it, that food plan becomes the new trend all across the globe. This year, the biggest hit in the food industry is the sustainable food plan. Now you may think that I have been talking about this “so-called” plan for an extremely long time but this time I come baring proof that the world is changing. With the food production industry accounting for almost over a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, around 58% of Europeans are willing to spend more on edibles that aren’t produced using fossil sources.
The word decarbonization has been used very frequently when it comes to technology but today, I am going to use it with food – Decarbonization of Food. This is a method of manufacturing and growing products using green fertilizers made from renewable energy like water and air. When asked in a survey around 74% of Europeans strongly believe that the food companies should move their agenda to reducing emissions through their production lines. With the environment deteriorating at a rapid rate, a big concern that has been raised is the loss of land to grow crops and raise animals, making it a big concern especially for our future generations. Scientists have come with an eco-friendly solution to find alternative food options that would not strain the environment for its cultivation. I am extremely sure; you all are not ready for the answer. Its Algae!
Algae are water-based organisms that survive by photosynthesis in all kinds of water bodies. After tons of research, researchers have announced algae as a superfood mainly because of their high content of protein, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. Don’t worry, you aren’t the only ones processing this information. With the growing population, we are running out of land space to grow protein-based crops like soybeans and legumes, which led to the discovery of Algae as a high protein-based food option. What makes it sustainable is the fact that it can be grown on non-arable land using non-potable water and surprisingly, provides the eaters with 20 times more protein than soybeans. Moreover, in the ecosystem, algae play an important role in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making it an even better choice to grow in bulk.
Last year, I spoke about a very specific kind of edible fungi that could be the future of eco-friendly food options – Mushrooms. Today, I am mentioning algae as another option. Don’t worry, I am not going crazy listing these once considered gross category of plantae as edible options but this is what the world has come down to today. With the demand of nutrition increasing rapidly and several countries still not receiving the basic 3 meals of the day, choices like these could cause a revolutionary change. Now, obviously, this hasn’t hit the market yet, but I would highly recommend all of you to start thinking of some recipes to cook with Algae really soon. You never know what may change tomorrow!