The production of spirulina is green 

The productivity per kg of protein compared to the amount of water is phenomenal compared to that of soybean or meat:

It is also, if we compare the productivity per hectare:

As the production of spirulina is in tanks, one can use lower quality land or infertile. Fertilizer-inputs used for food spirulina are fully utilized by it. There is no leaching of soil as in conventional agriculture because this culture is done in a closed environment.

The current meat production is mobilizing about half of the agricultural land in the world, and in most of the countries of the American continent, many crops are GMOs. Reduce the consumption of meat, and substitute by vegetable protein (spirulina contains about 60%) would reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to crops, and methane emission by ruminants. Furthermore, spirulina feeds carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.

In our farm, we have established a pool of recycling purges, and the wastewater is recycled into another tank with plants.

Exemplary installation in Portugal.

Our spirulina production is located on the Serra de Monchique as well known as the lungs of the Algarve, on terraces whose magnificent walls are remnants of a time when these lands were cultivated by families on a mode of self-sufficiency.

This place was fallow for more than 20 years, in fact, the town of Monchique has lost over half its population over the past fifteen years : a consequence of the non- recognition of the importance of the peasants , children studied , sometimes higher , and went to the cities. For us, creating a spirulina farm in this context carries Sense: in Portugal, millions of hectares are now fallow ; yet here , places where there are good water , and sunlight are foisons . To settle in an isolated area (we are 5 kms from Monchique) is occupy abandoned agricultural land, bring new energy to maintain these quasi wilderness spaces. And it is also being involved in the prevention of fires that have create major damages, there is a decade. This is an alternative full of health benefits, to monoculture of eucalyptus for the manufacture of paper pulp; they grow so easily, suffocate other vegetation, and it is almost impossible to destroy their roots to other cultures.
A structure like our requires a moderate investment, and can generate a reasonable income for a family; it is a reproducible example, especially as our desire is to stay at a human scale, and wish to share with other project leaders our knowledge … Meaning and Sharing.

Fair prices

This element is an integral part of our project: to believe, as seen for years, that food prices should be as low as possible, it is to avoid some questions: who product? where? how? how lives this producer? what happened to dignity? A farm disappears in Europe every 2 minutes, and Portugal is no longer self-sufficient in food level. We offer spirulina at a price that may seem high compared to industrial production of unknown origin and not evaluable chemical quality. This price is one of our work, and the recognition of our qualitative approach, without enrichment will, enough to live decently, and we have the opportunity to experience our work in a unique place, and we appreciate it.
You can come and meet us, share, visit our facilities, learn family spirulina…. In full transparency we show you our qualitative analysis. This close link is also a human link around spirulina: an aliment from the more distant past, and hope for the future.

Malnutrition and familial production

Our farm can be a place of learning for humanitarian projects wishing to fight against malnutrition; such types of farms exist in Francophone Africa; we can expect the emergence and could contribute to such projects in Lusophone Africa.
Another facet of our projects is to promote family spirulina production: in a pool of 1 m2 with 20 cm of culture medium created with inputs, it is possible to collect the necessary amount every day for one person; that, in our climate, from May to October; spirulina grows well when the culture medium has a temperature from 25 ° to 37 °.

 

 

A pioneer, from always, about spirulina, Jean Paul Jourdan offers download of a manual of artisanal culture: “grow your spirulina” link: http://spirulinefrance.free.fr/Resources/Manuel.pdf in French, with some English and Spanish; comprehensive manual, and updated regularly.
It publishes monthly ‘’ the small news of the spirulina’’, in French; the new global family of spirulina. link http://spirulinefrance.free.fr/lespetitesnouvel.html