How can we properly feed eight billion people – and probably more than 10 billion by the end of the century – without further damaging our planet? The answer to this enormous challenge may lie in the acidic hot springs of Yellowstone Park in the United States. In this hostile environment, the teams from the company Nature’s Fynd made an extraordinary discovery: a micro-organism close to fungi with astonishing properties, capable in theory of feeding a good part of humanity.
“With our food system, we are facing a huge efficiency problem, explains Thomas Jonas, former HEC student and co-founder of the company. Take cow breeding for example. It has been 11,000 years since being human practices it but its yield remains very insufficient. 90% of what you give to these ruminants is not used to manufacture proteins. You have to deal with the fact that the cow produces hair, horns, dung … In addition, these animals consume a lot of resources.In the Chicago area – the city where Nature’s Fynd is based – if you fly, you will fly over fields of corn and soybeans that are used 90% for animal food. Mathematically, such a system cannot work because our resources on Earth are limited.”
To tackle the problem, the entrepreneur has therefore developed a technology around “FY”, this microorganism found in Yellowstone. “We have developed an innovative fermentation technology, specifies the company manager. We push the organism to settle on the surface of a liquid in which it finds all the food it needs: water, sugar and mineral salts. A few cells, taken from fridges in which we keep the mother sources are enough. No need to return to Yellowstone for supplies. From our reserves, it is possible to rebuild proteins at will and to feed potentially humanity”.
“It grows on its own”
Just minutes from downtown Chicago, Nature’s Fynd operates a pilot plant to demonstrate the process. Around the clock, robots prepare the pallets on which the organism will develop. These are automatically sent to rooms where they will stay for three days. “These are the same types of chambers as those used to make cheese or dry ham,” says Thomas Jonas.
“During these three days, we do nothing. There is no need for light, it grows on its own”, specifies the entrepreneur. Then comes the harvest, then the processing work. “If we want to make dairy-type products, we inject the protein mass into a blender with water. We then feed this mixture to a microbe that typically makes cheese,” explains Thomas Jonas. Depending on what they want to produce, the Nature’s Fynd teams add garlic and fine herbs, work on the texture by adding, for example, a small proportion of gum, as for “cottage cheese”.
“If we move towards a meat-type product, we don’t liquefy anything. We simply cut the material into small pieces and we add a certain number of elements (plants or vegetables such as beets) for taste, color and texture. Then we put everything in a machine that gives the shape of a sausage or steak pâté”, specifies Thomas Jonas.
The process is not really mouth watering. Yet when processed, the Fy protein base – which contains no antibiotics, pesticides or insecticides – looks nothing like astronaut food. Of course, the Nature’s Fynd teams are working in collaboration with NASA to develop a bioreactor capable of producing enough protein for future space travel. But on Earth, the Fy is already available in several American stores. It’s even served on the menu Bernardinea popular restaurant located in New York.
A company valued at more than a billion dollars
“About fifteen “food scientists” develop recipes for dishes or desserts all the time,” says Thomas Jonas. On his computer screen, the entrepreneur wants to show us a tasting video organized in the street. Whether they are vegan or not, the participants are extremely surprised and positive about the brand’s products. “Our pilot plant located in Chicago allows us to produce a few hundred tons of Fy per year. As the basic protein is incorporated into different products, this will soon allow us to be present in nearly 1,000 stores”, estimates the entrepreneur. . And that’s just the beginning. Nature’s Fynd is already planning to build a second plant in Chicago. Its objective is then to duplicate this production unit in other countries such as India, China or France. “I would be very interested in setting up shop there in about 2 years”, confirms Thomas Jonas.
There is no doubt that the entrepreneur will find funds for his project. Since 2012, Nature’s Fynd has raised over $500 million. Bill Gates, Al Gore, or even Jeff Bezos, participated in the various fundraisings through their investment funds. According a recent Bloomberg article, the company would now be valued at more than a billion dollars by some specialists. “We are tackling a crucial problem, justifies Thomas Jonas. When you look at human food, you see a flagrant lack of diversity. A handful of cereals and a few breeds of animals serve as the basis for most of our diet. “Obviously there are many other sources that can be tapped more efficiently. It’s just that it’s much easier to spot a cow than a protein-rich microbe.”
The war between Ukraine and Russia and of course climate change further complicate the equation from a dietary standpoint. “As things stand, the Chinese and Indians are going to have less and less ability to meet their protein needs precisely because they will need a lot of land and water. In the United States, in Iowa, simulations for the end of the century predict yield drops for the main crops (corn and soybeans) of around 85%”, warns Thomas Jonas. In short, it is high time to look at the content of our plates and make more room for new foods. Even if this will inevitably shake up our consumer habits.