Fungi have amazing abilities, developed over a billion years of evolution. NoMy, one of our startup members, wants to use its qualities to transform by-products from aquaculture and food production into food and feed products with the use of fermentation.

The mighty fungus

With the increasing demand for protein and thus, raw materials for feed, finding alternative and sustainable sources of feed ingredients have become crucial.

NoMy is approaching the issue by looking into the untapped potential of fungal mycelium.

It looks like cotton threads as it moves way underground or through other substances in search for nutrients.

But what are the benefits of using fungal mycelium as an ingredient in production of foods and feeds?

CEO and Co-founder Ingrid Dynna elaborates.

– A billion years of evolution have endowed fungi with amazing biochemical abilities, which NoMy harnesses to transform by-products from aquaculture and food production into nutritious, high-value food and feed products, Dynna says.

Nature’s own circular agents

She explains that they use no agricultural land or harsh chemicals and can operate 24 hours a day, year-round.

 – All at a fraction of the environmental footprint of existing protein sources, Dynna says.

– That’s why we talk about being circular by nature: we are creating circular, regenerative solutions by thoughtful design and by working with nature’s own circular agents, fungi.

Reducing emissions in the seafood industry

While aquaculture ranks among the most sustainable and resource efficient means to produce animal proteins for food, 70-80% of the climate emissions related to aquaculture stem from fish feed and feed production.

Dynna explains that NoMy, with the help of fungi, can offer a sustainable and cost-competitive alternative. In addition to using local bioresources and focus on local industry to reduce transport distance and associated energy use, they use ingredients with low climate footprint.

– Our ingredients have a climate footprint as little as >1 CO2e/kg and can help the aquaculture industry’s dependence on imported raw materials and provide a new source of stable, high-volume, and quality feed ingredients, she explains.

New solutions are important for the future of the industry

Every step towards reducing the climate emission on feed and use more of our by-products is a step in the right direction.

As NoMy says, accelerated development of small-footprint, high-quality alternatives are required to meet the rising demand for seafood, while decreasing emissions and environmental impacts. This is also mentioned by SINTEF, who highlights fermentation as an important part of the solution in their roadmap for solving the need for more fish feed.

We are looking forward to seeing NoMy and Ingrid Dynna’s team using fungi to transform aquaculture by-products.

David Quist, Chris Snyder and Ingrid Dynna visiting partner Vesterålen Havbruk. Brynjar Kværnstuen from Vesterålen Havbruk to the left in the photo.
Photos

Mycelium: Kirill Ignatyev

NoMy