Unleashing the power of good bacteria to fight climate change
Transcriber: Moon MS
Reviewer: David DeRuwe
The urgency of climate change is real.
Think about the floods in Western Europe
and the heat records all around the world.
The rapid pace of natural disasters
has shown us that we rely
on nature more than anything else.
Driving electric cars
or shopping more local goods
are some of the concrete climate actions
that many people have heard of
and are luckily already living by.
Today I will advocate
for something different,
something powered by nature itself.
Over many years,
many of us have been taught
that a good bacteria was a dead bacteria,
but what if I told you
that that couldn’t be more wrong?
That those microbes can actually help
address a major challenge,
such as climate change.
Thanks to science, we know
that almost everything on this planet
is made from tiny microbes
and that many of them are good for us.
Bacteria are one of the most
successful lifeforms on Earth.
They have been around longer than humans
and can adapt to extreme environments
like living inside active hot springs.
There are more bacteria
than grains of sand;
even you carry around
40 trillion bacteria in and on your body.
Think about it: we live in their world,
not the other way around.
Now just a minute ago,
I boldly stated that good bacteria
can help fight climate change.
At this point in history, I personally
cannot think of a challenge more profound.
The conclusion from the most recent
IPCC report is alarming.
We’re facing a code red for humanity.
Business as usual or having
a well-intentioned plan B
is no longer enough
because there’s no planet B
for us to call our home.
There is still hope, but it requires
a willingness to transform.
So what if we started looking
to nature for answers
and truly unleashed
the power of good bacteria?
I promise you that the potential
is not only huge,
but also surprisingly relatable
for anybody who hates wasting food
or who loves a tasty burger.
I work as a director of sustainability
at a global Danish bioscience company
called Christian Hansen.
Not everyone is familiar with our name,
but many of you know our taste.
More than one billion people consume
food or health products every day
that contains unnatural ingredients.
We specialize in fermentation
and microbial science.
All right, it’s time to be concrete
and explore how these tiny micro warriors
can help us fight climate change.
As a first example, let’s talk food waste.
Here are some fast facts
to stage the issue.
The food and agricultural industries
account for approximately one third
of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Around one third of all food is wasted,
and the unnerving truth
is that 8 to 10% of greenhouse gases
are associated with food
that is never consumed.
These facts demonstrate
both the magnitude of the problem
and the urgent need
to rethink our food system.
The problem only seems bigger
when considering that in 2050 we
will be 10 billion people on this planet.
We simply need to address
this unbearable amount of waste.
As consumers, we’ve all tried opening
the fridge to find food that’s gone bad,
whether it’s moldy sour cream
or spoiled white cheese -
in theory.
It’s estimated that 17%
of all yogurt in Europe is wasted.
81% of this is due to the expiration date,
but with our lactic acid bacteria,
we can help food producers keep
their products fresh and safe for longer,
simply because the good bacteria help
to naturally inhibit
the development of yeast and mold.
So if these food cultures were used
in Europe, in yogurts all over Europe,
we could reduce that waste
by 30% each year.
And why do you think this matters
from a climate perspective?
Well, it does because
preventing food waste
is a great way to lower
our carbon footprint.
And it’s easy.
Let me move on to my second example,
and this is the place where
a tasty burger takes the spotlight.
When the pandemic hit last year,
restaurants all over the world
were closed overnight.
That was also the case for Copenhagen’s
world-famous restaurant, Noma.
Eating food prepared by Michelin chefs
are, under normal circumstances,
not a privilege for the masses,
but that was about to change
with the opening
of an outdoor, new burger joint.
Well, you might be thinking
that a good burger
has always been a crowd pleaser.
So why this example?
Well, when the Copenhageners were queuing
up for hours at this new spot,
they were queuing up for a vegan burger.
Now, that’s more unusual.
Even so, this particular burger
has been described
by many as a masterpiece,
and it’s the best burger
they’ve ever eaten.
The secret?
Well, by applying the art of fermentation,
Noma demonstrated that the plant-based
food can go mainstream
if only taste and texture
match the traditional food that we love.
And that’s also exactly
what we’re working on,
together with our customers
and in partnerships to advance every day.
And the mass aspect is important
for a very obvious reason:
We all need to eat a lot more vegetables
if we are to create
a more sustainable food system.
I’m excited about this because this
vegan burger brilliantly showcases
how good bacteria can bring about
real change in eating habits.
It’s therefore my hope
that within the next decade,
good bacteria will be recognized
as the invisible master chefs
that enabled a plant-based revolution.
So it’s clear that we cannot win
the climate battle
with the weapons of the past.
That’s especially true
when it comes to agriculture.
With a growing world population,
the pressure on our food system
is getting more and more intense.
Food production will need
to increase by 50%,
something which requires
an area two times the size of India
and with the added challenges
of climate change,
it’s clear that the way we farm today
will need to become
significantly more sustainable.
What we need is a regenerative
agricultural system,
a system that does more good than bad.
I hope you’re no longer surprised
when I tell you that good bacteria
can be an important part of the solution.
Plants and bacteria have coexisted
for millions of years,
and they enjoy an extremely
beneficial symbiosis.
One family of bacteria that has proven
to boost plant health
are the Bacillus microbes.
So our bacterial solutions
can deliver a yield
that matches chemical alternatives.
And as a part of the natural
plant microbiome
they can help protect the crops
against pests, disease, or flooding.
Biological plant protection currently
only represents 5% of the global market,
and the conversion is not happening
quite at the speed we need.
In the EU, for example,
it takes five to eight years
to get a product approved.
Looking to climate science,
we can immediately conclude
that there is no time to wait.
We cannot sit around,
harvest after harvest, and wait.
We desperately need to fast-track
approvals of green solutions.
Bacteria are the smallest creatures
on this planet, yet so powerful.
So let’s use good bacteria
and fermentation to prevent food waste,
to indulge in more goodness
from the plant kingdom,
and to transform the way we farm
by using natural plant protection.
Let’s celebrate good bacteria.
They were here before the dinosaurs,
and they will be here as long
as we have a beautiful planet Earth.
I believe that we have
a lot to learn from them.
Let us partner up with good bacteria
to fight climate change.
Thank you.