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{{Language-box|english_link= Spirulina farming | french_link= Culture de la spiruline | spanish_link= Coming soon | hindi_link= Coming soon | malayalam_link= Coming soon | tamil_link= Coming soon | swahili_link=coming soon | korean_link= Coming soon | chinese_link=Coming soon | indonesian_link= Coming soon | japanese_link= Coming soon}}[[Image:spirulina farming icon.png|right|80px]][[Image:spirulina_farm.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Spirulina farm in India.]][[Image:various_edible_forms.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Spirulina drink, energy bars, chikki, and pills.]]'''Spirulina ''' is an aquatic micro-organism often referred to as an algae, though it more closely resembles bacteria. It is used as a food supplement to combat malnutrition. 1 gram of spirulina is said to be as nutritious as 100g of spinach or carrots, and is cheaper. It has an extremely high protein content, with 60-70% of its dry weight consisting of a balanced mix of various essential amino acids. Further it is very rich in beta carotene (to produce vitamin A), iron, vitamin B12, ganna-linolenic acid and other micronutrients. It has no cell wall and is therefore very easy to digest.
It improves physical growth as well as cognitive development. It also improves immunity, and therefore helps in fighting and preventing HIV/AIDS and anaemia. Studies show it is also effective against arsenic poisoning, a condition which is extremely hard to combat.
It can be consumed directly as the paste which is harvested or dried. This is highly useful for cheap, local distribution in rural areas. Further it is also suitable to be produced industrially for the middle class. This is in the form of pills sold in pharmacies or combined with various food products such as rice, milk products, energy bars, candy, noodles, etc.
====History====
Spirulina was rediscovered during a European scientific mission in Chad, as a traditional food of the locals called dihé. It was a blue-green, dried cake made of a micro-organism which grew in the natural alkaline lagoons found in this region.
It was found that people had been consuming this for centuries not only in Chad, but also in Mexico and other areas. Even though people here had extremely poor diet, they did not suffer from malnutrition.
====Nutrition====
Malnutrition is a pathological condition caused by the lack of essential nutrients such as amino acids, proteins, and vitamins. Hence it is caused not only by lack of food but also due to the poor quality of the food available in less economically developed areas. It can prevent physical growth as well as cognitive development and cause many other problems, such as immune dysfunction. UN figures show that over 250 million children suffer from malnutrition.
Antenna Technologies has developed simple systems for the production of Spirulina, using simple tanks and specific culture medium recipes.
===Suitable Conditions===
Spirulina grows in solutions of specific minerals with the correct chemical balance and a pH of 8-11. There are various different recipes for this, depending on the budget available and the conditions. It needs a minimum of 20˚C to grow substantially, though a temperature of 35-37˚C is most effective. A good amount of sunlight is useful if the culture has a reasonable temperature and concentration. At very low temperature, low concentration of culture, or a culture that is struggling to grow.
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! width="50%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! style="background:#ffdeadf0f8ff;" | Disadvantages
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| valign="top" | - Can be produced locally and so has social as well as economic benefits <br>
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===Construction, operations and maintenance===[[Image:harvesting_spirulina.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Harvesting spirulina.]][[Image:extruded_spirulina.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Extruded spirulina laid out to dry.]][[Image:empty_tank.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Empty spirulina tank.]]
Large Scale: If produced industrially: In green houses, large water tanks (raceway ponds), water, fertilizer, pump/ paddle wheel to move it.
'''Small scale: Materials: '''
* Flask of live spirulina
* tank – see manufacturing
The production of Spirulina requires manufacturing of a tank. The size of this depends on the scale of production, and the number of tanks. 1 tank of 18m2 produces approximately 150g of Spirulina per day.
'''Materials: '''
* 2 polyethylene sheets 2mm thick.
* 4 frames
Further, tanks usually need to be replaced or repaired after 3-4 years. Other equipment may also have to be replaced.
===Costs===
An estimate for the total costs however is 5-7 euros per kg of spirulina. The main costs involved in the local production of Spirulina are labour, nutrients, packaging, capital and administration. The costs of course depend on the local availability of materials.
In india for example, the cost of building a tank of 18m2 is 166 euro and a feeding programme here produces Spirulina at a cost of 0.01euro per child per day.
==Country =Field Experiences===[[Image:distributing_spirulina_chikkies.jpg|thumb|right|300px200px|Distributing spirulina chikkies.]]
Spirulina programs are currently being implemented in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, India, and Vietnam.
They pack the Spirulina in dry form of 2 gram sachets and sold to two local NGOs. The Spirulina is also combined with millet, jaggery, and sesame to produce “chikki” a type of energy bar to feed 2000 children per day from slums in the neighborhood. At this scale of production, the facility is extremely efficient, and produces at a cost of 0.01 euro per child per day. They currently do not sell in the open market, as this requires more management and marketing skills, however this is being worked on.
==Reference manuals=Manuals, videos, and links==={{#ev:youtube|PZo1y5lqMpA|200|auto|<font size="2"><center>Production and distribution <br>of spirulina</center><font>}} * English summary[http: //www.thewaterchannel.tv/images/watersmartagriculture_CGIAR_2015.pdf Water-Smart Agriculture in East Africa], a collaborative effort by [http://www.antennacare.chorg/enCARE], [http:/documents/Jourdan_UKglobalwaterinitiative.pdf* French Full versionorg/ GWI], [http: //www.iwmi.cgiar.org/ IWMI], and [http://www.antennacgiar.chorg/documents/manuelJourdan2061CGIAR]. A 321-page sourcebook for improving water management for smallholder farmers.pdf
