​Host: Professor Kyle Lauersen

Abstract:
The global economy is valued at US$127 Tn/year and the agricultural sector contributes 6.4% of that at US$8.1 Tn/year. By 2050, we will need 70% more food to support the growing population of 9.8 billion people. Therefore, preservation of arable land is critical to meeting a range of UN Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Clean Water and Sanitation) and protecting our planetary boundaries (e.g. chemical pollution, climate change, biodiversity conservation, and global freshwater use). To ensure a sustainable future, the implementation of next-generation photosynthetic microalgae-based biofertiliser can play a vital role where algae biomass can be grown on non-arable land with saline and/or wastewater. Along with nutrient recycling (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus) in a contained system, ultimately reducing freshwater, arable land use and reliance on energy-intensive chemical fertiliser use.