Integrating algae into cooking is popular with some star chefs. Algae are nutritious, albeit with a slightly peculiar taste. They can be used for many things, which is good because there is a lot of algae to pick up along the beaches.
For example, they can help wine producers work more sustainably by being used as plant stimulants (Fr. biostimulants) in the vineyard. According to marine biologist Valentin Le Ny, algae are distinguished by their incredible genetic and functional diversity.
Historically, macroalgae (microalgae are so tiny that we cannot see them) have been used as fertiliser not least along the coasts of Brittany. Farmers quickly noticed that the algae stimulated the plant’s growth, and scientific studies in the 1950s confirmed this.
From time to time, we come across wine producers who use algae precisely as a kind of fertiliser. Champagne RC Lemaire, for example, imports algae powder from Norway to strengthen their vines naturally. Now, the French company UPL France believes that the many positive aspects of algae should be given more attention. Algae extract, they believe, is a natural and sustainable alternative to conventional products, perhaps not always as a replacement but as a complement. Algae, the company believes, also has a fascinating ability to adapt and can withstand extreme conditions, such as variations in temperature or salinity.
We have only seen the beginning of what algae can contribute to agriculture.
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