Fermenting Finnish fungi to reduce soy dependency for alternative proteins in the EU

Episode 6 delves into the fascinating world of alternative proteins and waste valorization with guest Simo Ellilä, CEO and co-founder of the Finnish biotech startup Enifer.

Source: AI generated image

The Soy Dependency Crisis

The global food and agriculture industries are facing a major sustainability challenge: overreliance on traditional protein sources like soy. Soy production is not only a driver of deforestation in critical ecosystems like the Amazon but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Europe, in particular, is highly dependent on soy imports from countries like Brazil and the US, making it vulnerable to both environmental risks and fluctuating global markets. In the search for alternatives, innovative companies are turning to underutilized resources—waste or side streams—to create more sustainable protein sources.

Enifer’s Innovative Use of Fungi for Protein Production

One such company is Enifer, a Finnish biotech startup that has revived a decades-old Finnish method for upcycling industrial byproducts into sustainable proteins. By tapping into the PEKILO process, Enifer uses fungi to ferment side streams, transforming waste into high-quality protein. Originally developed in the 1970s by Finland’s forestry industry, this process works by feeding industrial byproducts, rich in organic material, into fermentation tanks where a specific fungus, Paecilomyces variotii, rapidly converts them into fungal biomass. The result is a dried protein product that can be used in animal feed, aquaculture, and in the future for human consumption.

Waste Valorisation: Turning Waste into Valuable Resources

This process is a prime example of waste valorisation, the practice of converting waste streams into valuable resources. Instead of being discarded or left to pollute, these industrial byproducts become raw materials for producing proteins. Enifer’s fungi-based protein, which has already proven its effectiveness by replacing fish meal in shrimp feed, not only promotes healthier and faster-growing shrimp but also helps reduce reliance on overfished marine stocks, making it both an economic and environmental win.

Challenges in Measuring Sustainability Impact

However, while waste valorisation processes like Enifer’s offer promising environmental benefits, measuring their full sustainability impact is no simple task. One major challenge is the industry’s reliance on CO2 emissions as the primary metric for sustainability. Although carbon footprints are crucial, they don’t tell the whole story. For example, the process of using waste streams, often dismissed as having zero impact, actually carries a footprint because these byproducts originate from industries that produce emissions. Enifer advocates for using economic allocation to accurately assess the sustainability of waste valorisation, accounting for the entire value chain from the source of the byproduct to the end product. This approach considers multiple factors, such as water usage, land use, and the environmental benefits of reducing waste.

Enifer’s Sustainability Contribution

Enifer’s technology has the potential to make a profound impact on global sustainability. By upcycling waste into proteins, Enifer can reduce the need for land-intensive soy farming and decrease pressure on marine ecosystems. Their fungal protein can achieve up to 70% CO2 savings compared to soy from deforested regions like Brazil, making it a highly attractive alternative for the food and feed industries. In a world where sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity, Enifer’s solution highlights how innovative biotechnologies can turn waste into a valuable asset, transforming the way we think about resource management and protein production.

Listen to the full episode (#6) of the bioCircular Loop podcast on your preferred music streaming platform!