1. Rethinking Protein thru Spirulina contract-farming
Presentation for the Blue Zone
Perth 2017
We are at the beginning of a protein crisis

2. GLOBAL CHALLENGES The can seem daunting
Saumil speaking: “We are at the beginning of a protein crisis."
SDG 1: 1 in 5 people live on less than $1.25 a day
SDG 2:
1 in 9 people are undernourished, the vast majority of these people live in developing countries
Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 per cent) of deaths in children under five – 3.1 million children each year.
SDG 5:
Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of today’s global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households.
Women comprise on average 43 per cent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, and over 50 per cent in parts of Asia and Africa, yet they only own 20% of the land.
SDG 11:
By 2050 around 75% of all the world's population will be urban

3. GLOBAL PROTEIN DEMAND GROWTH
Huge market potential for spirulina
GLOBAL DEMAND FOR MEAT PROTEIN
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
“World Agriculture: Towards 2015/2030. An FAO perspective…”
Facts from source:
The second major factor limiting the growth of world meat consumption is the fact that such consumption is heavily and disproportionately concentrated in the industrial countries.
They account for 15 percent of world population but for 37 percent of world meat consumption and 40 percent of that of milk.
Their average per capita consumption is fairly high - that of meat is 88 kg compared with 25 kg in developing countries.
FISH
SPIRULINA

4. OUR TEAM
Working at the intersection of food challenges and social challenges
Saumil speaking :
“Eight years ago I founded EnerGaia-- a social enterprise with the goal of becoming a change agent for the way our food is grown, processed and consumed. I believe the food we produce should deliver more of the important micronutrients and protein our bodies need to maintain good health in the most sustainable way possible.
Like many people, thousands of years before me, I discovered the amazing nutritional profile of spirulina as a high-protein superfood.”

5. SPIRULINA the ‘First Food’ A story about
3.5 billion year old blue-green cyanobacteria named because it looks like a spiral
Rediscovered in the 1940’s …
High in proteins, vitamins, minerals, rich in antioxidants
Sharing our technology to uplift livelihoods
Creating a better way today
Tommorrowland – spirulina farms everywhere!
… and still grown the same way
Open ponds and clay pots
Mayans mix it with chocolate
EnerGaia rooftop farms
BEC contract farmers
Spirulina is born!
Aztecs eat it with maize and chili
Fish of the future!
3.5 billion
yrs ago
1500 yrs ago
500 yrs ago
Yesterday
Today
Today
Tomorrow
10 yrs
from now
This slides is to answer the question - What is Spirulina?
Spirulina is a superfood --an amazing blue-green algae with important micronutrients with very high bio-availability.
Habib, M.A.B.; Parvin, M.; Huntington, T.C.; Hasan, M.R.
A review on culture, production and use of spirulina as food for humans and feeds for domestic animals and fish. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. No Rome, FAO p.

6. PROVEN TRACK RECORD Much better than current solutions Closed tanks
Contamination resistant
Better productivity
Easy to set-up
Can grow almost anywhere
Click here for EnerGaia video for Blue Economy Challenge
Use 20 second Timelapse here in the background while I speak
“Dream big, make a difference, grow spirulina”
Saumil speaking :
“With help from my team, I developed an effective and affordable way to grow high quality and mild tasting spirulina, unlike any other spirulina product on the market. Instead of growing spirulina traditionally in open ponds where the spirulina is easily contaminated, causing an unpleasant taste, we grow our spirulina in closed containers we call bio-reactors.”

7. FOOD INDUSTRY HUNGRY
For new ingredients to avert the impending protein crisis
Beverages
Food
Snacks
Cosmetics
Quotes from Sustainable Food Summit 2016 Brazil:
“The food industry is hungry for new ingredients.”
“With a protein crisis looming over the food industry, plant-based proteins like spirulina are a viable option.”
“We want more customers in the food industry to recognize the nutritional value of spirulina, embrace it as a new ingredient and add it to the foods they already produce.”
“Sustainable sourcing of ingredients create a positive social impact.”

8. OUR HUB-AND-SPOKES A model that really works! 15 km 0 km 24 km
Hub: On Nut Lab & Processing Center
Spoke 1: On Nut 50 m2 rooftop farm
Spoke 2: 100 m2 rooftop farm at Novotel Siam Square
Spoke 3: m2 at Bangkok Green Zone

9. DIFFERENT BUSINESS MODELS
Based on need
Legend:
Microfinanced for rural farmers
Revenue sharing to commercial producers
Operated for development aid agencies
For rural farmers:
Microfinance the system cost
Contracting farming (we buy all spirulina)
For commercial producers:
Sell system at cost plus profit
Licensing agreement
For development aid agencies:
Agency pays for system at cost
We operate the system
Guaranteed spirulina production per day for social use

10. Incremental annual revenue ($3 / day)
REAL IMPACT
For rural Bangladeshi farmers - based on our experience
$1,095
Incremental annual revenue ($3 / day) 20
Bioreactors* x 15
grams Spirulina
powder
per day x
$10
per kg price x 1
year =
* 1 bioreactor uses 1 square meter

11. WE NEED HELP CONNECTING WITH
Food manufacturers
Socially minded investors
Local partners who work with rural farmers
Institutional implementers of meal programs
Disaster relief aid agencies
Food manufactures to make and market spirulina products
Socially minded investors to help us scale our impact faster
Local partners who have experience working with rural farmers
Development agencies in need of highly nutritious foods to support undernourished population groups (school meal programs, elder care food, hospital meals)
Aid agencies seeking ready to serve nutritious foods for disaster relief

12. Got Spirulina?