Sustainable Spirulina

It may not look like much, but that clump of blue-green algae has been hailed since the 1970s by the UN and others as a sustainable solution to global malnutrition and poverty. Sustainable not only as a nutrient and protein-rich food, but as a source of income for those living in both urban and rural poverty.

Small Spirulina ponds which can produce up to 200 grams per day can be financed with about a $500 micro-credit loan. The Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM) claims it takes about one gram of spirulina per day for a few weeks to correct severe malnutrition in a child. While providing a valuable source of nutrients for the community, the Spirulina pond owner can profit from the worldwide demand for the product. Worldwide production is expected to be 250,000 tons in the next few years.

So what makes Spirulina so nutritionally beneficial? Firstly, the stuff is between 60 and 80% protein! It's also one of the few sources other than breast milk of Gamma Lineolic Acid, an essential fatty acid. As a unicellular orgamism, it's very easily digestible, and so provides a whack of vitamins and nutrients to the malnourished body without shocking the system.

For more information, check out www.iimsam.org and this nutritional analysis