Researchers in Europe turn to microscopic algae for answers to our environmental problems

Every drop of seawater is teeming with microscopic life. Many researchers in Europe believe that one particular kind called microalgae, which is invisible to the human eye, could be the answer to the planet's most pressing challenges, by making agriculture more sustainable and providing greener alternatives to plastics. 

Almería, located in southern Spain, is known for its sunny beaches and its agricultural industry. The region is home to a vast network of greenhouses, known as the "plastic sea". This climate is a paradise for microalgae, single-cell organisms that can convert sunlight, nutrients, and CO2 into valuable biomolecules.

Local researchers found strains of microalgae that can purify local wastewater while producing fertilisers and other products for farmers.

"They provide biostimulant properties for food production in agriculture," Gabriel Acién, Professor of chemical engineering at the University of Almeria told Euronews.

"But also we isolated more or less ten different microorganisms able to provide biopesticides — to be able to control fungi, insects and other diseases in the greenhouses without using any chemicals, only these natural molecules obtained from microalgae," he added.

Through EU-funded projects SABANA, for which Gabriel is a project coordinator, and ALGAENAUTS, a local biotech company has developed a range of commercial farming products made from microalgae ingredients. These eco-friendly alternatives align with the European Union's Farm to Fork strategy, which aims to halve the use of chemical pesticides by the end of the decade.

"We have to keep in mind that for 2030, we have to remove the chemical compounds in agriculture in order to get a sustainable and healthy food production," said Joaquín