Marine Valton

From an early age, Marine Valton started questioning our impact as human beings on the planet, urgently wanting to act on reducing it. But it was after the deeper study of the environmental impact of agriculture during her PhD at Imperial College, London, that the idea for Nourisol came about.

“The production of food is damaging the environment, mostly because of one chemical element: nitrogen,” she says. “Nitrogen is an essential element: without it, yields are drastically impaired. But when farmers apply this nitrogen to their fields (as fertilisers), most of it is lost into the environment, polluting both air and water. To make things worse, the production of these fertilisers contributes to global warming.

“But farmers are facing extraordinary pressures thanks to a looming global food crisis, they are not in a position where they can compromise their income to protect the environment. Now, more than ever, they need new solutions to maintain food productivity while preserving the environment and their land.”

Through NouriSol, Marine and her co-founder aim to address the environmental damage caused by the production of these nitrogen fertilisers through the development of slow-release fertilisers made from microscopic algae found within the soil.

This is a sustainable solution that not only helps to maintain soil health and support crop growth, but captures carbon and nitrogen from the atmosphere at the same time, reducing the impact on the environment overall.

In the long term, Marine hopes to empower farmers globally, raising awareness about the environmental impact of agriculture and encouraging the adoption of sustainable solutions for food production.