Harnessing the Potential of Macroalgae Biomass as Alternative Feedstocks to Grain Legumes: A Step Towards Food Security

Macroalgae predominantly grow in aquatic ecosystems and constitute an extensive group of microscopic to giant marine organisms serving as direct evolutionary ancestors to all advanced fungal, animal and plant life forms. Organic remains of these marine organisms continue to help provide the food we eat, oil deposits and natural gas extracted from underground reservoirs. Currently, macroalgae has also been utilised as a source of wide-ranging industrial products, including raw materials for livestock feed and food resources that remain underexploited. The different algal species possess unique chemical properties due to their high content of nutrients such as fatty acids, polysaccharides, vitamins, sterols, phenols, flavonoids and tocopherols. Due to these characteristics, they are suitable candidates for use as alternative livestock feed to legumes which play a significant role in symbiosis with microbes, soil structure, biotechnology and food security. This chapter discusses the importance of macroalgae as a sustainable source of dietary energy and proteins for livestock and comparatively analyses against leguminous crops such as alfalfa, fava bean, pea and soybean. It briefly explores the chemical properties and biotechnology of both legumes and algae targeted for processing into feed protein and other high-value products. This evaluation of macroalgae biomass as potential alternative feedstocks to grain legumes can expand our understanding relative to their benefits in improving the growth of animals, genetic modification, processing challenges and the environment, as well as impact on agriculture, globally.