Algae might not sound like the most appetizing thing—but humans have been eating it for millennia, and you can grow it in algae ponds for human consumption. Most algae that we’ve consumed over the years comes from the macroalgae varieties, which are better known as seaweed. Lots of cultures use it in traditional dishes, and it is an important source of nutrition. For the most part, however, the algae that humans consume today is gathered from the wild.
New algae pond technologies are emerging that stand to change all of that. With updated techniques for culturing seaweed and edible algae in controlled ponds, algae farming for human consumption may start to grow. Right now, the major barrier to production is the fact that where microalgae are concerned, it takes a large volume of water to produce a relatively small amount that is safe for humans to eat. As demand grows, we may discover ways to refine the process so that more algae can be produced in less space.
