What if we Didn’t Need Food to Survive? — Introducing ESCA

Now, like most people, I LOVE FOOD. It’s delicious, it fills me up, it has all these great qualities. I think food is great, but, it’s not logical to think that we could survive eating food the way we do now for the next 50 years.

The way we’ve been approaching food for the last one hundred-or-so years has been through a super wasteful way:

• Farming takes up 70% of the world’s global freshwater supply.
• 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year (costing us $2.3 trillion every year 😡).
• Livestock contributes nearly 2/3 of agriculture’s greenhouse & 78% of its methane emissions.
• Livestock production also accounts for 70% of all agricultural land use, occupies 30% of the planet’s land surface and is responsible for 18% of the Earth’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States estimates that world food production must rise 60% to keep pace with demographic change.
• The average meal travels 1,200 km from the farm to plate, causing the release of pollution along the way. With so many meals, this adds up quickly.

I could go on about this, but, there’s no use in complaining and not actually doing anything. Let’s breakdown what the biggest problems in the agriculture industry right now are.

📈 Let’s Get Statistic-y

Percentage of Each Type of Greenhouse Gas Emission on Earth

By looking at this first graph, we can see how much of each main greenhouse gas is around the Earth. Now, it’s not that easy to get rid of all that CO2, but, methane is the second most common greenhouse gas.

Agriculture is known most notably for the amount of methane that cows emit, so a first step would be switching over to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. If we want to bring these numbers down, then, that’s something that is critical for the future. Let’s move on to the next graph.

This gives further validation that meat needs to go, but, it also brings up an interesting point. Synthetic fertilizers, rice cultivation, and things associated with plants also produce large amounts of emissions.

Although eliminating meat would be a big step, is there a way to get rid of plants and still have access to nutrients?

👋 Say ‘Hello’ to Algae and Fungi

I must admit, eating algae and fungi doesn’t sound that appealing at first, but, it’s actually pretty revolutionary.

A sea of Algae

They’re jam-packed with nutrients and everything you need to survive.

🌱 With Great Algae Comes Great Nutrients:

• Protein: Chlorella is 50–60% protein. What’s more, it’s a complete protein source, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids;
• Vitamin B12: Some chlorella varieties may also contain vitamin B12;
• Iron and vitamin C: Chlorella can be a good source of iron. Depending on the supplement, it may provide anywhere from 6–40% of your daily need. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps you absorb iron;
• Other antioxidants: These tiny green cells provide a wide range of antioxidants;
• Other vitamins and minerals: Chlorella provides small amounts of magnesium, zinc, copper, potassium, calcium, folic acid and other B vitamins;
• Omega-3s: As with other algae, chlorella contains some omega-3s. Just 3 grams of chlorella delivers 100 mg of omega-3s;
• Fibre: In large quantities, chlorella can be a good source of fiber. However, current supplements don’t provide even 1 gram of fiber per dose.

🍄 Getting our Fungi On (And Getting Nutrients in the Process 😎):

• High protein content: 20–30% of mushrooms is crude protein as a percentage of dry matter. High protein content makes them an ideal food because they contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition;
• Carbohydrates: After moisture, which accounts for 90% of fresh weight, carbohydrates are the main component of mushrooms, providing as a good source of glucose + energy;
• Low Energy Value: Mushrooms contain an average of 85–125 kJ per 100 g whereas an adult male needs about 10 000 kJ per day. This low energy value of mushrooms enables it to be used in low-calorie diets, ideal for diabetics;
• Fats: Mushrooms are characteristically low in fat, comprising 2–8% dry weight. This crude fat includes representatives of all classes of lipid compounds including free fatty acids, glycerides, sterols, and phospholipids. Of existing fatty acids, a high proportion are linoleic acid (the only essential fatty acid required in the human diet), has been found to be 63–74% of total fatty acids;
• Cholesterol: Mushrooms are cholesetrol-free sources of nutrition;
• Vitamin B: The fruit body of a mushroom is an excellent source of B-complex vitamins including riboflavin (B2) niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamin (B1) biotin, folate and vitamin B12. Mushrooms are a particularly rich source of riboflavin as well;
• Vitamin B12: Mushrooms are unique in that they contain Vitamin B12, something that vegetables can’t produce at all. Since B12 is mainly of animal origin, deficiency is commonly associated with vegetarian diets. Mushrooms were found to contain 0.32–0.65 mg per gram of B12, allowing just 3 g of fresh mushrooms to provide the recommended daily allowance of this vitamin;
• Other: Approximately 104 mg of phosphorus can be supplied by 5 raw button mushrooms; 100 g of mushrooms would also supply more than half the daily requirement of copper. Mushrooms are also an excellent source of selenium. Foods of animal origin and cereal grains are sources of selenium, but among fresh produce, only mushrooms are a good source.

Wait… This Actually Sounds Pretty Good. How would we Eat This?

Since it’s a bit awkward and not as versatile to have to prep and cook algae and fungi every time we need to eat them, we’d have to figure out a way to consume them more efficiently. Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered for you.

ESCA — Creating the most sustainable nutrition sources to serve all of human-kind.

*Please note this is not an official, in-market company. As of right now, this is an idea 😉

You might have injested a capsule before as a way of taking medication. But, why not use that to take in food as well? Specifically, algae and fungi.

ESCA plans using food capsules as ways of storing fungi and algae

By air-drying and crushing both fungi and algae into nutrient rich powders, we have a medium to fill gelatin capsules with.

Every individual has different needs and therefore, pills + the amount needed/month will have to be customized. Consumers will purchase these supplements on the basis of a monthly subscription.

We plan on sending clients through an online process which analyzes BMI, illnesses, age, gender, and other factors(ex. whether or not the person smokes, pregnancy, lactation etc…).

From here, test results are sent to a lab to determine the specific vitamin and mineral needs. Clients will be sent test results for required take content, potential administration options, cost, shipping, development, and delivery time. All information will be kept confidential and destroyed once no longer needed.

♻️ Closed Loop Systems and Circular Economies

At ESCA, we prioritize sustainability as one of our four core principles (You can read about who we are as a company here).

So, we wanted to ensure that all the processes associated with creating and transporting these capsules would be as environmentally friendly as possible. We want to ensure that we minimize waste and reuse as much as we can:

• We’ll be using vertical farming to grow all our products. This method allows us to cut down on the water we use by 95% (compared to conventional farms), maximize the amount of nutrients, and increase crop yield per square foot. For a primer on vertical farming, click here.
• The main container used to host the pills will be made out of glass. Although it is not recyclable, consumers will use this for anytime they need to get pills. This is the equivalent of a water bottle for water, made for pills instead 😉
• We’ll be using pouches created by Elevate Packaging to keep our monthly refills in. This is a compostable and bio-based option, which is able to keep oxygen and moisture out.
• Vehicles use to transport ESCA products will be electric.
• Any production needs associated with ESCA products will all run on renewables.

Monthly refills will be hosted in structures similar to this

🚀 The Future of ESCA?

At ESCA, we are trying to create a future without food.

This means a future on all planets without food, not just Earth.

One of the biggest problems with Space Colonization is that we have no way of getting food on other planets. This is where food capsules could become essential.

For example, we plan on eventually using the natural basalt composite found on Mars and plant-based polymers to 3D print vertical farms and ESCA facilities on that planet. From there, we can grow algae and fungi out of membranes, powering ourselves via renewable energy sources.

And then 💥 BAM! We have ourselves a potential source of nutrition on Mars. The universe is next 😉

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Traditional food sources have a monumental impact on Earth’s ‘health’ and contribute massively to climate change
• Fungi and Algae can be used as alternatives to animal products and plants, while still providing high nutritional value
• ESCA is a company planning on creating personalized food capsules to provide nutrition to individuals without needing to produce ‘traditional’ foods
• ESCA ensures that all the processes work in line with closed loop systems, circular economy ideals, and other sustainability measures
• ESCA has the potential to revolutionize the future (and make it food-less!)

👋 Hey! If you liked my article and would like to read more of my work, feel free to follow me on Medium! I’m also always thankful to hear feedback so, if you would like to get in contact with me (I don’t bite, shoot me a message!), connect with me on LinkedIn!