How ocean farming can solve world hunger with Alora CEO Luke Young | E1698 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Allora genetically fortifies crops to be highly salt tolerant, allowing them to grow in the ocean and other saline environments.

Key Insights

• 🫠 Allora's technology is based on advancements in genetic engineering and the ability to read and decipher genomes.
• 😋 The ability to grow crops in saline environments is a crucial adaptation strategy to ensure food security in a changing climate.
• 🫢 Allora's genetically fortified crops can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane, associated with traditional agricultural practices.
• 🌊 The company's ocean farming technology involves floating farms, designed to endure the dynamic conditions of wind, waves, and boats.
• 🤩 Collaborations with diverse stakeholders, including governments, seed distributors, and trade associations, are key to the successful implementation of Allora's technology.
• 🌐 Allora aims to scale up its operations to address the global agricultural market, which is anticipated to reach $4.2 trillion.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How does Allora genetically fortify crops to be salt tolerant?

Allora activates a pattern of genes found in seagrasses and mangroves, relatives of those found in crops like rice and wheat, to allow these crops to manage salt just as they would in a marine environment.

Q: How does growing crops in salty soils and the ocean help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions?

Growing crops in saline environments reduces the need for fresh water, land, and additional nutrients, making agriculture more sustainable. This shift can also help reduce the emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced by rice cultivation.

Q: What challenges does Allora face in scaling its ocean farming technology?

Allora encounters challenges such as regulatory and policy frameworks for establishing ocean farms, addressing mechanical issues like biofouling, and assessing potential unintended consequences on the ocean ecosystem. Collaboration with various stakeholders and learning from related industries are crucial in overcoming these challenges.

Q: Who are the potential buyers of Allora's genetically fortified seeds and ocean farms?

Allora's potential buyers include seed developers, farmers, landowners, and large multinational companies in the food and beverage industry. The goal is to achieve price parity with conventional crops and provide a sustainable and profitable business model.

Summary

This episode of "This Week in Startups" features an interview with Luke Young, the CEO and co-founder of Allora. Allora is a startup that genetically fortifies crops to grow in the ocean, providing a sustainable solution for food production. Luke discusses the technology behind ocean farming, the progression of the company, and the potential impact on climate change.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Allora doing and how does it work?

Allora has created a way for crops to be highly salt tolerant, allowing them to survive in salty soils and even in the oceans themselves. They have found a pattern of genes in plants that already survive in the ocean, and they activate those same genes in crops like rice, corn, and wheat. By managing salt levels in the crops, they can grow them in high salinities without impacting normal plant metabolism.

Q: Why couldn't this technology be developed five years ago?

The ability to map out genomes and decipher DNA has advanced significantly over the past five years, allowing for precise genetic design. Methods like CRISPR have made it possible to make small edits or activations in genes, enabling plants to react as if they had evolved over hundreds of years. This level of precision and understanding in genetic design was not possible five years ago.

Q: Did rice used to grow in the ocean?

Yes, if you look back hundreds of millions of years, all crops used to grow in the ocean. As civilizations domesticated crops, they moved away from growing them near coastlines, leading to the dormancy of certain genes that allowed plants to tolerate salt. However, there are some crops, like salt-tolerant Samphire, that still grow in salty environments.

Q: What is the climate aspect of ocean farming?

Ocean farming offers various climate benefits. For example, rice is responsible for significant methane emissions, which is a potent greenhouse gas. By growing crops in environments that don't require fresh water and land, and by reducing methane emissions, ocean farming can help mitigate climate change. It also allows for adaptation to changing environmental conditions and expands the areas where crops can be grown.

Q: Is the rice grown with this technology saltier?

No, the rice is not saltier. The design of the crops prevents salt from being transported from the roots to the leaves, effectively locking it in the roots. The rice itself tastes normal and can be consumed without any saltiness. However, it is possible to activate certain genes to increase saltiness if desired.

Q: Where is Allora in the process of commercialization?

Allora has designed the seeds for salt-tolerant crops and successfully grown them in a greenhouse. They are close to harvesting their first batch of rice and are also starting pilot projects with cotton and corn. As they continue to optimize and iterate the technology, they aim to scale up production and establish partnerships for global distribution.

Q: How long has it taken to reach this stage?

The idea for Allora started in 2018, but it took about a year to hone in on the genetic design. They began as a physical-based company in 2019 after joining the IndieBio program in San Francisco. During the program, they refined their business model and made global connections. Since then, they have been focused on developing and testing their technology.

Q: How did Luke Young and his co-founder arrive at this problem?

Luke and his co-founder met in University and discovered that they lived only half an hour away from each other in rural North Yorkshire, UK. They both grew up in rural environments and the potential they saw in the US inspired them to work on a solution for sustainable agriculture. They believed that ocean farming could have a significant impact on food production.

Q: Who are the potential buyers of Allora's seeds or farms?

Allora works with seed developers and farmers to license and distribute their salt-tolerant crop varieties. They also partner with multinational companies in the food and beverage industry for supply chain integration. The potential buyers range from seed developers and farmers to large corporations.

Q: Are there concerns about unintended consequences on the ocean's biology?

Allora acknowledges the importance of considering the potential impact on the ocean's ecosystem. They are conducting pilot projects and working with trade associations to assess the environmental impact and develop strategies to prevent any unintended consequences. They are focused on ensuring their technology has a positive impact on the environment.

Q: What is the market size for Allora's crops?

The rice market is currently valued at approximately $300 billion globally and is projected to increase to $500 billion by 2050. Allora is initially focusing on rice due to its significant global consumption and vulnerability to salinization. However, the potential market for all crops is estimated to be around $4.2 trillion, making the market size limitless.

Takeaways

Allora's technology enables crops to grow in high salinities, including in the ocean, providing a sustainable solution for food production. By genetically fortifying crops with salt tolerance, they can reduce methane emissions from traditional farming and adapt to changing environmental conditions. The technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and significantly impact climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Allora has developed a cutting-edge technology that makes crops highly salt tolerant, enabling them to survive in salty soils and even in the ocean.

• The company activates a pattern of genes found in seagrasses and mangroves that allows crops like rice, corn, cotton, and wheat to manage salt just as they would in a marine environment.

• By genetically fortifying crops, Allora aims to create a sustainable practice for growing food that can adapt to the changing climate and mitigate the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions.