SUSTAINABILITY
DOING OUR PART
OUR AQUAFARM
Parabel’s Aquafarm system has no parallels when it comes to agricultural intensity, output and foot-print efficiencies. It can turn barren land into the most productive on earth, while allowing a path for production of protein that does not threaten the rainforests that still remain.
The crop requires relatively modest water, energy and fertilizer inputs – and our closed growth system keeps losses to an absolute minimum. It is the only cropping system in which 100% of the plant is harvested and 100% of that harvest is employed in the production of high value products. Not a drop of water is wasted, not an ounce of product is thrown away. Everything is either used or completely recycled back through the system.
All elements of our farming and manufacturing systems employ a proven and unique sustainable approach throughout.
Peter Sherlock, CTO
Parabel is proud to recycle 98% of the water used when growing water lentils, and produce zero waste through our innovative harvesting process.
FOOTPRINT
As the world’s smallest, free floating, flowering plant, water lentils tend to get pushed around, crowded out and shaded by larger, more cumbersome plants. As the best source of edible protein and carbohydrates in nature, it also tends to be grazed on – but it has evolved to adapt to the predatory world it lives in. It grows and reproduces faster than any other leafed plant. While it flowers, fruits and seeds, water lentils have adapted to cloning as a favored means of reproduction – reproducing itself continuously.
It has also adjusted by becoming the world’s most efficient photosynthetic engine. It can attain its extraordinary growth rates, literally doubling in under two days, with only partial sunlight — consuming, in the process, astonishing amounts of carbon dioxide and emitting precious oxygen.
SOLUTIONS
Growing and harvesting water lentils is vastly different than other agricultural products. Our unique system of growing in aqua ponds means that water lentils do not require arable land. Aqua ponds allow our crop to grow without competition of other plants and our system is able to recycle all nutrients, never allowing them to leach into nearby areas like most fertilizers. Water lentils also only require freshwater and sun, versus the typical 13 kg of grain required to produce 1 kg of meat. Lastly, while food shipping costs continue to accelerate, we are proud to process our water lentils at the source.
We set the bar high from the beginning and are pleased to say we have not only reached it, but exceeded it by a considerable margin.
INNOVATION
Our Parabel process could be thought of as a traditional feed mill process. However, when you look further you will find that we have reviewed and evaluated everything that could be termed traditional and arrived at a new and patented process. We took a delicate crop and maximized its output quality and quantity. The cultivation conditions are paramount when growing water lentils and we monitor growing conditions daily to ensure optimal growth. The plant doubles in biomass every 24-36 hours allowing us to harvest daily. This leads to a higher yield per ace than any other crop including GM soy.
Lemnoideae – our freshwater lentil – requires careful handling during harvesting and processing so we adapted traditional techniques to devise what has become a genuinely unique system. This allows maximal extraction of nutrients, without compromising any of its unique freshness. We are able to transform this vibrant crop into pristine and stable final products for optimum stability and long shelf life.