Spirulina as a Force for Good

In Ghana, many children face daily challenges getting the right nutrition to grow, learn, and thrive. Building our business in Ghana was not just a coincidence. Besides the climate being perfect for spirulina production, we aim to make a positive impact locally in two ways: creating (youth) employment and fighting malnutrition. We are committed to using spirulina´s amazing nutrient content as a force for good. Luckily, we are not fighting alone but partnering up with Food For All Africa to help improve the nutrition of children, one school meal at a time. But how big is the malnutrition problem really? And how is spirulina going to help?

The Reality of Malnutrition in Ghana

Malnutrition continues to be a serious public health challenge in Ghana. It doesn’t just mean not having enough or too much food, but also not the right kinds of foods with the right nutrients your body needs. According to UNICEF, nearly one in five children under the age of five in Ghana are stunted, meaning they are shorter than they should be for their age. One in ten children are underweight, meaning they don’t weigh as much as they should for their age. Nearly half of all children suffer from anaemia, which can be caused by not getting enough iron in their diet. (1). Among schoolchildren age 5-14 in Ghana, nutritional deficiencies are the number one cause of illness and death (2). The primary nutritional deficiencies in children in Ghana are protein-energy malnutrition, dietary iron deficiency and Vitamin A deficiency. 

But the problem is not only caused by an insufficient amount of food, but it has a lot to do with the variety of food consumed. UNICEF uses a term called “child food poverty”, which means a diet that is insufficiently nutritious and diverse and therefore impairs healthy growth and development (1). In Ghana, 2.4 million children under five live in child food poverty. Nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables are often missing from the diet, leading to nutrient deficiencies (3,4). 

At a young age, the consequences of malnutrition can be big and long-lasting, with a serious impact on physical and intellectual development (5). This can result in a vicious cycle of poor health, lower learning capacity and subsequently fewer economic opportunities.

Spirulina as a force for good

To help fight malnutrition and make school meals healthier, spirulina might be our superhero. It’s often called the most nutrient-dense food on Earth and for good reason. It’s packed with protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs to stay strong and healthy (6). On top of that, spirulina also has pigments which could have health benefits.

Spirulina contains 60-70% protein, which can enrich the diet of school children to help battle protein-energy malnutrition (6). Spirulina also contains Iron that your body can easily absorb, which could be beneficial for school children and the fight against anaemia (6). Another nutrient often lacking in the diet of Ghanaian diet is Vitamin A; spirulina also contains this vitamin (6). Spirulina isn’t just healthy. It’s also sustainable. Spirulina needs only 1% as much land and water as beef and produces less than 1% of the greenhouse gases (7).

If you’re curious and want to know more about why spirulina is so special, you can check out our article: Is Spirulina the Most Nutrient-Dense Food on Earth?

Real-World Impact

We’re not the first to recognise spirulina’s potential. In Burkina Faso, the Spiruline Nayalgue Project supports children, women, and people living with HIV through spirulina supplementation (8). Similarly, Antenna France has been using spirulina for over 15 years in Africa and Asia to combat malnutrition (9). These initiatives prove that spirulina is more than a theory, but can actually change lives. 

Working Together for Change

At Chalé Spirulina, we believe that real impact comes from collaboration. That’s why we’ve partnered with  Food For All Africa, a Ghanaian organisation committed to improving food security for vulnerable populations. Together, we are enriching school meals with spirulina so that children get the essential nutrients they need to grow, learn, and thrive.

With every kilogram of spirulina we sell, we help nourish schoolchildren with this powerful support food! 

Sources

1. Unicef. Unicef Ghana Bulletin [Internet]. 2025. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/ghana/media/6356/file/UNICEF%20Ghana%20Bulletin_English_High%20Quality%20pdf.pdf.pdf

2. Halvey S. Nutrition Budget Brief 2021. 

3. Booth A, Barnes A, Laar A, Akparibo R, Graham F, Bash K, et al. Policy Action Within Urban African Food Systems to Promote Healthy Food Consumption: A Realist Synthesis in Ghana and Kenya. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2021 Feb 9;10(12):828–44. 

4. Global Nutrition Report | Country Nutrition Profiles - Global Nutrition Report [Internet]. [cited 2025 Aug 6]. Available from: https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/africa/western-africa/ghana/

5. De P, Chattopadhyay N. Effects of malnutrition on child development: Evidence from a backward district of India. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health. 2019 Sep 1;7(3):439–45. 

6. Podgórska-Kryszczuk I. Spirulina—An Invaluable Source of Macro- and Micronutrients with Broad Biological Activity and Application Potential. Molecules. 2024 Jan;29(22):5387. 

7. Tzachor A, Smidt-Jensen A, Ramel A, Geirsdóttir M. Environmental Impacts of Large-Scale Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) Production in Hellisheidi Geothermal Park Iceland: Life Cycle Assessment. Mar Biotechnol. 2022 Oct 1;24(5):991–1001. 

8. La spiruline humanitaire – Spiruline Burkina [Internet]. [cited 2025 Aug 6]. Available from: https://spirulineburkina.org/la-spiruline-humanitaire/

9. Spirulina – Antenna Trust [Internet]. [cited 2025 Aug 6]. Available from: https://antennatrust.org/spirulina/