Project description
Growing microalgae for a less hungry planet
The world population is rising, expected to reach 9.8 billion people by 2050. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that food production keeps pace. Not surprisingly, food companies are turning to alternative methods of food production. The EU-funded BioSolar Leaf project is taking a natural approach. It is the first cultivation system to harness microalgae and sunlight to produce healthy, sustainable natural food ingredients. This pilot plant will produce sustainable healthy food additives while purifying the air, producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the surrounding environment. Its ingredients are vegan, GMO and hormone free, and the technology permits sterile cultivation to eliminate external contamination and produce the cleanest and purest ingredients.
Objective
The global population recently surpassed 7 billion and is projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. Food demand
is expected to increase to 3B tons in 2050, an increase of 43% compared to 2009. This in turn will have dramatic
consequences not only on humans’ health that will consume lower quality food produced by means of less capital-intensive
techniques, but also on the earth that will be strained by climate change, increasing drought frequency and severity, soil
depletion and disease, and water pollution. Ensuring sustainable sources of food in light of these issues is of critical
importance for society as well as the environment. Food companies are therefore turning to alternative methods of food
production to meet the growing demands and regularly use artificial food ingredients to provide necessary levels of protein
and nutrients. Arborea has developed the BioSolar Leaf, the world’s first cultivation system which
harnesses microalgae and sunlight to produce healthy, sustainable natural food ingredients. Microalgae has great potential
for cultivation as they contain lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, micronutrients, antioxidants and can be cultivated under harsh
climatic environments. The BioSolar Leaf cultivation system is the only sustainable ground-breaking algae cultivation system that
enables complete control of ideal culturing parameters for production of natural food ingredients. Arborea’s ingredients are
wholly vegan, GMO and hormone free, and the technology permits a sterile cultivation that eliminates external
contamination, to produce the cleanest and purest ingredients. During the feasibility assessment, Arborea will size the
market, establish a go-to-market strategy and a supply chain. BioSolar Leaf will then be validated in collaboration with food
producers to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyphycology
- engineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologies
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculescarbohydrates
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
CR77ER THORNTON HEATH
United Kingdom
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.