This global challenge to design visionary algae food and energy systems- algae landscape designs, algae production systems and new algae foods- is attracting participants from all over the world.  

This past month, we received a registration on behalf of the Spirulina Ladies near Lake Boudou Andja in Chad. For many generations, Kanembu women have passed from mother to daughter the traditional methods of harvesting spirulina to make dihé. These ladies may be producing the lowest cost spirulina in the world, using traditional methods recently augmented by improved techniques. Dried spirulina sold in local markets in the Kanem region of Chad may sell for 10 times less than spirulina sold in developed countries.
 Ladies harvesting and traditionally drying spirulina dihé in a sand filter. (Photos by Marzio Marzot from the FAO Report: The Future is an Ancient Lake, 2004).

When seasonal rains stop, Kanembu women scoop the wet algae in clay pots, drain out the water through bags of cloth and spread out the algae a circular sand filter to dry in the sun. After about 20 minutes of drying, women cut the algae cakes into small squares for sale in the local market. More than 250 dry tons per year is produced, making these ladies of Chad nearly the highest volume and the lowest cost producer of spirulina algae in the world.
Since 2007, improved methods for filtering, processing, drying and packaging have been introduced for a higher quality product.

 

We look forward to the entry from the Spirulina Ladies of Chad and how they are merging traditional methods with new appropriate technology to produce a higher quality but still very low cost food.  

Thanks to Georges Bonnin for providing recent information on this project.