Page 7 - My FlipBook

Beyond Meat Aspirations

Brown believes that meat substitutes are the only way to save the
planet while feeding the world’s growing population. The ground
beef substitute that goes into the Impossible Whopper was intro-
duced into grocery stores in September 2019, and at least some
people are accepting it and making the product successful. And
Impossible Foods is not the only company working on reducing

Algae Instead

Algae—or microalgae, as scientists refer to them—are single-celled
organisms in the same family as seaweed. Thousands of different va-
rieties of algae exist, and many of them are edible. They can grow
almost anywhere, including on a pond or in the ocean. Algae have long
been a food source in certain parts of Asia and Central America, but
farmed commercially in tanks, ponds, or labs, algae have the potential
to feed the world. Algae are extremely high in protein, vitamins, and
the omega-3 fatty acids often missing in the diets of vegetarians and
vegans. They grow fast, require minimal space, and need just a few
nutrients plus sunlight to multiply.
In New Mexico a company called iWi is farming microalgae that
are already commercially available as a source of omega-3 for sup-
plements and as an additive to protein powders. Someday, however,
the company believes algae will revolutionize food. Founder and CEO
Miguel Calatayud explains, “Algae is going to be part of a regular food
chain for us. It’s going to be a great thing for all of us and for our
planet.” In the future, without algae, he says, “there will not be enough
animal protein or other vegetable protein. There won’t be enough ar-
able land, and what’s even more important, there won’t be enough
fresh water.” If people have algae to eat, however, there will be enough
healthy food for all.

Quoted in Rachel Crane, “Experts Say Algae Is the Food of the Future. Here’s Why,” CNN Business, June
1, 2018. https://money.cnn.com.

23