Algae in Food and Agriculture
Algae are increasingly used as a sustainable and nutritious food ingredient, but their potential runs deeper than your plate. They can also help things grow, used as biostimulants in fertilisers.
- Image: Envato
More Food, More Pressure
In 2024, global production of primary crops reached 9.7 billion tonnes, up 3 percent since 2022 and 27 percent since 2010. Over the same period, the area of land under cultivation has also grown, with global harvested area reaching 1.49 billion hectares in 2023, a 26 percent increase since 2000.
of primary crops were produced in 2024
Growing demand in food production puts pressure on agriculture. Higher demand for food means increased pressure to produce higher yields, which in turn means increased use of chemical fertilisers and less time for the soil to rest.
Algae offer new solution to how we grow our food and what we eat.
- Image: Envato
Why Change What We Eat?
of global greenhouse gas emissions account for meat-heavy diets
The global food system is under pressure from climate change and rising health issues.
With the world's population growing rapidly, the demand for food is increasing. Yet our current food systems are under pressure — meat-heavy diets alone account for up to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and have been linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. This has sparked growing interest in diversifying our food sources.
To protect both people and the planet, we need to take a close look at what we eat and how we produce it.
- Image: Envato
Why Eat Algae?
Algae, especially microalgae such as spirulina and chlorella, can also serve as a high-protein, sustainable food source that helps meet daily nutritional needs. Algae can be a valuable addition to the diet.
- Image: IRTA
They are low in calories and fats but contain high concentrations of minerals, trace elements, vitamins, and essential amino acids. They also contain indigestible carbohydrates that can support a balanced diet.
Examples of algae used in food:
Microalgae: White and honey Chlorella vulgaris, Spriulina, Tetraselmis chui,
Macroalgae: Kelp (Saccharina latissima), Red Algae (Carrageenan)
But are people ready to eat them?
- Image: Envato
What Matters Most to Consumers?
- Image: ESCI
- Taste and enjoyment
- Price
- Convenience
Many people plan to reduce their meat consumption and diversify their diet. Some even plan to reduce their dairy intake.
But algae-based foods are still largely unknown, and nearly half of consumers have never tried them.
Concerns about algae-based products include their high cost and limited availability. Many people are also unfamiliar with their taste, texture, and nutritional benefits. Most people prefer products with less than 10% algae content.
Health and sustainability matter but take a back seat unless the food is tasty, affordable, and easy to prepare.
- Image: Envato
Algae on Your Plate
Algae-based Foods
The aim in LOCALITY is to develop nutritious, algae-based foods that meet consumers' expectations of the original food.
| Algae-Based Foods |
Meat alternative | Sausages |
Fish alternative | Fish nuggets, canned tuna |
Egg alternative | Mixture for omelet preparation |
Examples
Chlorella Honey & White: rich in protein and micronutrients
Spirulina: rich in protein, fibre, and pigments
Saccharina: is a natural binder, texturize, and salt or flavour modifier
Alginate: used as a gelling or thickening agent
- Image: IRTA
The LOCALITY partner had the privilege of testing some canned tuna. Do you think he liked it?
- Video: ESCI
Each of these alternatives has to match consumers’ expectations of the real product in terms of texture, smell, nutrients, and taste.
To get there, the right algae and ingredients need to be identified and tested. This means evaluating their nutritional properties, such as protein, fat, and amino acid content, as well as their techno-functional properties, like foaming capacity and oil- or water-holding capacity.
Do you want to try them yourself?
- Image: VivaMaris
- Image: ENVATO
Nutraceutical
Nutraceutical are a collective term for foods or food-derived products intended to provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. They can be used to support or protect health, though they are not classified as medicines. They broadly fall into two categories:
Functional foods, which are everyday foods specially made or enriched with additional nutrients, like probiotics in yogurt.
Dietary supplements, which are concentrated sources of nutrients, such omega-3 capsules.
Examples:
(missing)
- Image: Envato
Biostimulants
Biostimulants are products that help plants grow better and use nutrients more efficiently. Not by supplying nutrients themselves, but by enhancing how plants absorb and respond to them.
Algae are a promising natural source of biostimulants, applied as dried biomass, seaweed powder, liquid extracts, or bio-based products made from microalgae.
Researchers need to find the right algae:
- Algae extracts and biomass effects are studied
- Promising products are refined
- New algae-based biostimulants are developed
- Products are validated through trials
Examples:
Kelp (Saccharina latissima): Support plant growth and water use, as well as stress tolerance
Brown alga (Ascophyllum nodosum): Help plants to take in nutrients, increase how much food they produce and make them more resistant
- Image: ENVATO
Field Validation
To validate the developed biostimulants, field trials are being carried out using lettuce, cabbage, tomato, cucumber, bean and pepper as crops. The trials assessed how the algae-based biostimulants perform under two key stress conditions: nutrient stress and drought stress, two of the most common challenges facing crops in modern agriculture.
- Image: GreenCoLab
- Image: GreenCoLab
- Image: GreenCoLab
- Image: GreenCoLab
- Image: GreenCoLab
- Image: GreenCoLab
- Image: GreenCoLab
- Image: GreenCoLab
Biocontrol
In agriculture, biocontrol means a natural way to fight harmful organisms instead of using only chemical pesticides. With algae, this can mean algae extracts that slow down plant pathogens like fungi or help plants defend themselves better.
The effectiveness of biocontrol based on algae can be tested in a laboratory by growing a pathogen in a Petri dish and then applying the algae to see if it slows or stops the pathogen’s growth. In this way, researchers can test different algae against different pathogens and compare how well each one survives or is suppressed.
Examples:
(missing)
Based on the trial results, the two best-performing extracts will be selected for prototype development, marking the next step towards a scalable, algae-based biostimulant and biocontrol product.