Developing the production and marketing of spirulina in lakeshore communities is the pet project of Eduardo Juárez Carrillo, the new director of the University of Guadalajara’s Limnology Institute, headquartered in La Floresta.
A biologist specialized in aquaculture, Juárez worked at the university for 20 years before taking charge of the center dedicated to the study of inland water ecosystems on July 1, following the retirement of long-time director Manuel Guzmán Arroyo. While continuing research on Lake Chapala’s fish species, he is keen to promote in spirulina cultivation as a new pursuit.
The blue-green algae is widely rated as a superfood for its high protein and vitamin content and medicinal properties. Juárez notes five grams of spirulina has the same amount of protein as 400 grams of fish, and is easier to digest. It can be added to tortilla dough, energy bars, fresh juices and smoothies to enhance their nutritional values.
Juárez compares raising corn, which sells for 2,000 pesos per ton, to producing spirulina with market value of one to four million pesos for the equivalent amount. On a smaller scale, he sees spirulina production as a potential cottage industry for local women who can cultivate the algae in their own their backyards for a huge economic return on a few hours of labor.