Protein Without Limits: The Calysta Approach to a Carbon Reduction Strategy
The Problem
On average, manufacturing food for a single, medium-sized dog generates an enormous amount of CO2 annually: 3,684 kilograms, equivalent to the emissions from driving a gasoline car almost 95,000 miles. Multiply that roughly 90 million times for all the dogs in the United States and 90+ million for cats, not counting hundreds of millions of farm animals, and the significance of the problem becomes apparent.
With this in mind, some animal nutrition companies are increasingly worried about the greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions from protein sources in pet and livestock feed and are seeking more sustainable alternatives.
The Technology
Based in San Mateo, California, Calysta is a biotechnology company that develops and produces protein ingredients from novel sources. Calysta uses an innovative gas fermentation process that utilizes naturally occurring bacteria and advanced reactor technologies to produce FeedKind® protein. This protein serves as a sustainable and traceable alternative feed ingredient for fish, livestock, and pet nutritional products. FeedKind is non-GMO, free from heavy metals, and contains 71% crude protein and 8% crude fat. It helps maintain a healthy gut in animals, improving nutrient absorption, feed conversion, and growth rates. FeedKind is fully customizable and traceable, offering a practical solution for animal nutrition.
Boundless’s Data-Driven Solution – The Industry Calculator
According to Lori Giver, Calysta’s chief Science and Sustainability officer, “Enterprises everywhere are focused on seeing an accurate snapshot of their CO2 emissions, and finding practical and affordable ways to reduce them. Land and water use are easy stories for people to understand—and we have a good story there as well—but the priority remains on CO2.”
To address the specific needs of companies like Calysta, Boundless developed the Boundless LCA Carbon Calculator, an Excel-based, user-friendly, and dynamic tool for evaluating the carbon impacts of various input materials and energy use.
The calculator assessed the greenhouse gas footprint of Calysta’sFeedKind protein production, showing that the biggest share of emissions was released during the fermentation process. The tool supported Calysta’s decision to purchase carbon offsets associated with natural gas use—and that by doing so, Calysta could reduce the GHG footprint of FeedKind, making it a competitive alternative source of protein.
“We’re continuously saying, ‘What if we used a different energy source at this site?’ We’ll probably be expanding that as we look at different sites or scenarios. It’s much easier for our customers to understand those changes [with the Boundless calculator],” notes Giver.
The Outcome
Armed with the validation of Boundless’s Life Cycle Analysis and Industry Calculator, Calysta has seen continued growth. In fact, in November of 2022, the company announced a partnership to bring a production facility to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia five times larger than its largest current facility.
In February 2023, Calysta was rated as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and in its memo to FDA, the company cited the discoveries aided by Boundless as a key driver to its approval and growth. One year later, the company launched the first dog treat featuring FeedKind proteins.
“FeedKind is an exceptional alternative to other sources of protein, and is free from heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics, ensuring animals are only fed the nutrients they need. Because it can be produced year-round using no arable land and without using any plant or animal ingredients, it truly is a protein without limits.”
Boundless’ Industry Calculator has also been a valuable asset for converting leads into customers. “Pet food companies have demonstrated significant interest. They ask the most probing and insightful questions, including European versus US standards. It seems to be a starting point for everyone,” Giver says. “But our tool gets to what’s really at stake here: ‘What's the GHG footprint per kilogram of protein instead of per kg of product?’ Our tool does the heavy lifting for them.”