In recognition of Earth Day, the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship spotlights Western-founded company Terra Optima Labs - a start-up centred around implementing sustainable food practices. Through their transformative agri-food products, Terra Optima Labs has leveraged a synthesis between nature and technology to grow foods locally with increased sustainability. The company aims to build products for the future that better our planet.
The nagging inefficiencies impacting our agricultural and food processing sectors are open secrets.
Due to leaky supply chains, humans waste millions of pounds of produce each year. It is estimated that 14% of the world's food (valued at $400 billion) is lost annually between harvest and the retail market (FAO, 2019). Compounding these issues is the state of the earth’s soil. Some experts claim close to 90% of the earth’s soil will be eroded or degraded through human activity by 2050 (FAO, 2018).
If food production and processing remain inefficient and soil continues to degrade faster than it can be regenerated, humanity will have a major issue on its hands very soon.
These are daunting problems, but William Wang, HBA ’21, and Dan Nejman, HBA ’21, believe it’s not too late to turn the tide. That’s why they launched Terra Optima Labs.
Terra Optima Labs endeavours to provide solutions for rejuvenating soils before they are entirely lost. The London-based venture has recently launched a partnership with the Western Fair District, where they're collaborating to create a circular food district.
In short, all food and organic wastes generated at the Western Fair District are diverted and captured. Using natural organisms and technologies, Terra Optima Labs takes the waste and converts it into beneficial soil fertilizers. This fertilizer is developed by cultivating worm castings. Worms consume food waste and convert it into castings. This output is an incredibly valuable organic soil fertilizer. Food producers can then use these fertilizers to cultivate their produce. This effectively closes the loop on food waste.
There are many ways to treat soils. Options vary from synthetic chemicals to natural alternatives. Through their natural organisms, Terra Optima Labs can produce soil fertilizers that retain natural nutrients, carbons, and biological complexities. These factors are largely absent from synthetic chemical fertilizers.
One of the tangible benefits of Terra Optima Lab's organic soil fertilizer is the hormones, enzymes, and microbes that are imbued into the soil from worm castings.
When applied to the soil, the fertilizer acts as a natural slow-release nutrient that helps promote symbiotic growth. When using synthetic fertilizers, there is always a risk of overapplication, leading to the plant's burning (and potential death). This will not happen with a natural soil fertilizer. Terra Optima Labs estimates that a single five-litre bag of natural soil fertilizers will offset 15 kilograms in food and associated organic wastes. Using Terra Optima Lab's organic soil fertilizer, producers can cultivate healthier crops and reduce their environmental impact.
As for future endeavours, Terra Optima Labs is seeking to expand on its current operations at Western Fair and continue incorporating scientific processes into the composting process. The aim is to grow their own produce and either enter the local farmer markets, sell to local restaurants, and/or donate to local community organizations.
Terra Optima Labs is a Morrissette Accelerator participant (Winter 2022 Cohort). Click here to learn more about the Morrissette Accelerator. And to find out more about Terra Optima Labs, visit their website by clicking here.