Wolffia - Food of the Future

August 15, 2025 by
Wolffia - Food of the Future
Poet

We learn most about our world from what is NOT told to us.

Few of you know the story of the smallest plant we know. It grows very quickly on ponds and still waters, is full of proteins and vitamines, has a great taste and should be part of our daily meals.

Read about Wolffia in genetics:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/wolffia


If you are a little cautious yet to add it to your daily diet, feed it to your pets and fish:



By: Kamonporn Sitthitrai

Food Innovation and Packaging Center (FIN)

Chiang Mai University

fininfo.fin@gmail.com

Assoc. Prof. Yuthana Phimolsiripol, Ph.D.

Dean

Faculty of Agro-Industry

Chiang Mai University

yuthana.p@cmu.ac.th

Wolffia,” a plant-derived alternative protein, has been gaining more attention in recent years due to its nutrient richness and versatility in converting into a wide range of food products.

Mitigating Environmental Crisis to Create New Opportunities in the Future Food Market

In terms of economic sustainability, Wolffia is both a promising future food and a current megatrend in the food industry. The government is encouraging Wolffia production in both agricultural and industrial sectors. This support is due to Wolffia’s minimal space requirements, year-round growth capability, and short production time. Environmentally, Wolffia-based protein production emits significantly less greenhouse gas than other plant- or animal-derived proteins. For instance, Wolffia protein production releases half the greenhouse gases of seaweed protein production and 22 times less than Nile tilapia fish protein production. Additionally, Wolffia can absorb carbon dioxide and contaminants in post-production wastewater. This wastewater can be repurposed according to Zero Waste principles.

(Source: https://www.foodfocusthailand.com/whats-in/wolffia-the-tiniest-aquatic-plant-revolutionizing-alternative-protein-production)


Read more on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolffia