Algae: the Aqua Crop
Algae are the oldest form of plant life on earth. We are transforming that simple plant life into a super crop. Building farms that produce an algal aqua crop that’s brimming with the nutrients and essential fatty acids we need to live, grow, and thrive. Consider the variety of solutions born from our aqua crop.
- Pharmaceuticals — Aurora Algae will produce high-concentration
Omega-3 fatty acids in commercial quantities for use in pharmaceutical and health supplement products. - Health Foods & Beverages — Aurora Algae’s rich protein extracts and Omega-3s will be added to health shakes, protein bars and other food and beverage products.
- Fish Feed — Aurora Algae’s high-quality and low-cost fish feed will provide a natural food source for aquaculture.
- Renewable Energy/Fuels—Aurora Algae’s high-performance biodiesel can be produced in low-cost commercial quantities to address a variety of energy applications, including transportation.
Beyond the altruistic reasons to develop technologies that are sustainable and environmentally sound, there is an urgent need to create new food and health products to nourish the expanding global population. Down the chain, fish feed, animal feed, and fossil fuel alternatives are also needed to sustain the anticipated demands.
Several studies suggest farmers will be up against environmental limits by 2050, as industry and consumers compete for water. With the population estimated to reach 9 billion, a group of U.S. scientists suggest that feeding this increased population could require twice as much water and exponentially more agricultural land than is available. A radical rethink of global food production is needed to reduce its dependence on oil. Up to 70% of the energy needed to grow and supply food at present is fossil-fuel based which in turn contributes to climate change.
The need for action is urgent given the time investment required to develop and implement new technologies and for the political and social changes needed to support them. Aurora Algae is addressing this need with a multi-faceted product platform that serves the world’s needs from many directions with this sustainable, renewable, - evolutionary, if not revolutionary- crop.
