1/14/23, 12:47 PM Food Out Of Air — Is That Even Possible?

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Mercedes' Lens
Oct 14, 2022 · 2 min read · Listen

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Food Out Of Air — Is That Even Possible?

One of humanity’s greatest unsolved issues has always been hunger. This year, the
number of severely food-insecure people will probably reach 1 billion. We’re facing
a very globalized future with potential military conflicts and climate disasters that
may even worsen the situation for millions of people. The question is: should we try
to solve this the way we always have or shall we try out something new?

Photo by Solar Foods

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1/14/23, 12:47 PM Food Out Of Air — Is That Even Possible? | by Mercedes' Lens | Medium

Solein is the purest and most sustainable protein in the world. It originates from a
natural, non-modified, single-cell organism but it’s not a plant or an animal. We’re
talking about a non-modified microbe, one of the billion different ones found in
nature that feeds on electricity and air (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen).
This microbe goes through a natural bioprocess very similar to fermentation and is
then dried up, resulting in a dry powder that is 65–70% protein.

In an article published by Solar Foods this month, their Sr. Vice President Arttu
Luukanen stated that our current centralized agricultural system is vulnerable to
disruptions due to the war and climate conditions. He proposes to move away from
centralized agriculture and towards decentralized solutions. For example, by
installing a Solein bioreactor the size of a container in a small village, a community
could support its own nutrition needs. They would still rely on food supply, but they
would have an important source of protein in their hands, which is vital for any
balanced diet.

Photo by Solar Foods

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1/14/23, 12:47 PM Food Out Of Air — Is That Even Possible? | by Mercedes' Lens | Medium

This may sound like a dystopic future (I mean, who likes the idea of having their
food come from a bioreactor?); however, at scale, this is definitely one very efficient
way to solve one of humanity’s greatest problems -hunger- as well as help alleviate
our current climate crisis.

Sources:

FAOSTAT — FAO

Science — Solar Foods

Solving the food crisis from Mars missions to arid deserts

Food Tech Technology Sustainability Future

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