A New Protein-Rich Food—Discovered in Yellowstone

Producing food for the eight billion people on our planet is closely linked to rising temperatures and more damaging storms. 26% of earth’s ice-free land is used for animal grazing and 1/3 of cropland is used to grow livestock feed. About 14% of greenhouse gas emissions come from raising livestock. Less dependence on animals for food would free up land and reduce emissions.

An accidental discovery in Yellowstone National Park has led to a new alternative protein. In 2009, a doctoral student named Mark Kozubal became interested in algae growing on a geothermal floodplain. After taking it back to his lab for study, a white fungus took over, growing quickly. Further experimentation led to a reliable cultivation method, producing a muscle-like substance that’s 30% fiber and 50% protein. His company, Nature’s Fynd, launched its first products in 2021—meatless breakfast patties and dairy-free cream cheese. Additional products are in the works, all made without sun, rain or soil, and using a fraction of the land, water and energy required for traditional agriculture.

The most important aspect of alternative proteins is, of course, taste. Time will tell how consumers will respond. But big-name investors, including Bill Gates, are betting on Nature’s Fynd to be a success.