The Future of Food Is Blue (See What That Means)

In a not so distant future when the world’s population reaches 10 billion people, aquatic food, like sand lance, seaweed, and algae, will have to be taken into account in order to have the healthy and sustainable food system required to feed everyone, a new study shows.

The non-fish aquatic food group has been dubbed “blue food”.

“It is essential that we continue to communicate new opportunities to eat sustainably,” says Professor Ole G. Mouritsen of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Food Science in Denmark. “By doing so, we will gradually effectuate change upon our eating habits and traditions. We hope that this study plays a part.”

The Blue Food Assessment has been developed to better understand blue foods and to address the need to integrate them into humanity’s diet. Whereas agriculture leads to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and counts for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, blue foods have a much lower carbon footprint when produced, processed, sold, and consumed sensibly.