Algae, the bread of tomorrow
We have a mission. Alver not only wants to offer healthy food, but contribute to the sustainable nutrition of the constant growing world population. We need to rethink. At Alver we are convinced that only the cultivation and consumption of sustainable and nutritious natural products can reduce the consumption of water and agricultural land in the future – natural products such as microalgae.
More and more people, less and less farmland
Changes in food production are urgently needed, as the numbers show. In 2019 our planet had to feed a fifth more people than in 2003 – 7.7 instead of 6.4 billion. With the constantly growing world population, the demand for food is also increasing, but the global area under cultivation has decreased by 10 percent in the same period: from 0.18 ha per capita to 0.16 ha per capita. The changing eating habits of people are making the problem worse: increasing meat and milk consumption is one of the main causes of constantly rising CO₂ emissions and the excessive consumption of water, arable land and pastureland. The progressive urbanization, and sealing of the soil through building, do the rest.
Algae require little space
Experts are convinced that the cultivation of microalgae can contribute to overcoming the problem of the shrinking agricultural area worldwide. “Algae can be cultivated independently of arable land and, especially in the case of many microalgae, provide an oil- and/or protein-rich biomass – with a space efficiency that exceeds that of soil-bound plants,” say biologists Jörg Ullmann and David Grimm, for example. “A sustainable seaweed industry could be an integral part of the future bioeconomy, creating resource-efficient food and fuel production, as well as new products, businesses and jobs.”
Algae offer a lot and needs a little
Alver belongs within this assessment. For example, Golden Chlorella, as an alternative plant-based protein source, can provide individuals with valuable proteins and reduce the need for the consumption of milk and meat.
The high nutrient content of microalgae is a strong argument for considering these plants in concepts for the nutrition of the future: A handful of algae provides 500 grams of valuable protein powder. Algae production requires about 40 times less water than meat production.
Efficient Cultivation
Microalgae are fished as baby algae and then raised in a fermentation process. Due to the properties of this algae strain to multiply and grow quickly, the result is a rich harvest with low use of resources. In addition, three quarters of the earth is covered with water and thus offers potential “cultivation areas” for microalgae.
Problem solver microalgae
With the cultivation and consumption of algae we can master the challenges of our time: malnutrition, dwindling agricultural land, climate change, environmentally harmful fertilizers, nutrient waste. Of course, this requires completely rethinking nutrition and agriculture in many areas. But we like to do that – it’s our mission.