Advantages

Disadvantages

- Can be produced locally and so has social as well as economic benefits

- Cheap to produce

- Uses simple technology and locally available materials

- Requires much less water to grow than vegetables

- Stimulates the education of local women about nutrition

- Can be combined with other products (eg rice, etc.) to be made into locally acceptable food products all around the world

- Very effective, contains most essential micronutrients in high concentrations so 1 gram per day can combat malnutrition within a month.

- Very easy to digest

- Very safe, it is resistant to most contamination due to highly alkaline environment

- Decentralized production means women need to be trained to produce, use technology, etc.

- They also need to be aided in marketing their product and managing a business.

- Initially more expensive cumbersome to implement than food fortification programmes.

- To cover initial investment, subsidies may still be required.

- Cooking destroys the vitamins and nutrients in Spirulina

– so cannot be combined with all foods

- Does not combat iodine or folic acid deficiency