Building Food from CO2: Can We Transform Global Food Production to Net Zero?

Abstract

Traditional agricultural methods face increasing pressure due to environmental and geopolitical factors. Recent advancements in electro-biological hybrid systems offer a promising alternative for producing food from CO₂, water, and electricity, bypassing the need for photosynthesis. This letter provides an overview of the concept behind these hybrid systems, highlighting their key advantages and addressing the main challenges they face. Using meat production as a case study, we show the potential benefits for this new electro-agriculture system to meet global protein demands and explore the considerable resource savings that could result from transitioning away from conventional agriculture.