In New York, Future Market Insights said in a new report that duckweed, a species of plant with small round leaves that float on the surface of the water and often mistaken for algae, is set to grow and become a preferred feedstock for biofuel, aquaculture and animal feed due to its high growth in nutrient-rich water. Duckweed is also high in protein at around 25-45% protein content which is considered better than that from soybean meal at around 35% protein content. It can also more than double within 36 hours making it ideal for fast reproduction.
According to the report, “duckweed does not support the growth of bacteria, viruses or prions, so it provides a high degree of safety from product contamination relative to the animal based platform. Duckweed is also edible by humans and other animal species such as chickens and pigs.”