| Japanese Mars Diet Stinks |
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| Written by Erika Fredrickson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 26 March 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For people planning to live on Mars sustainably, azolla might be the best food option. Japanese researchers have suggested this water fern is so rich in nutrients and takes so little energy to grow that it's the perfect otherworldly cuisine. It can double in size every four to five days, and when eaten it tastes like sprouts. Problem is, it smells really foul. Here on Earth, when it grows too much it can choke up canals and cause harm to fish. Azolla is used as livestock feed on some organic farms. But even in this case, farmers recommend washing the fern to get the dung smell off. Japanese farmer, Takao Furuno uses it for his innovative rice and duck culture. It provides nitrogen for the rice and nutrients for the duck, and suppresses weeds. The duck then fertilizes the plant with its dung. Great, right? But as a space food it might take getting used to. Then again, so would living on Mars. Other good Mars foods according to scientists:
Apparently these foods could be cultivated easily in a bioregenerative life support system. Who knew? Azolla seems great for sustainable farming. But can space travel and Mars life be sustainable in itself? Sources: Acres Wild, Wired Magazine, New Scientist, BBC News UK
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It's true what our moms said...we are what we eat. In fact, it's truer than they thought. What I eat doesn't just affect me anymore, it affects all of us.
Unfortunately, the story of food can sometimes be complicated. But envirovores help each other out...which is why this blog will be bringing you news, tips, and information about food and the environment every step of the way.
