By: Faculty of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources
March 30, 2026: Research led by Professor Anil Kumar Anal, Dean of the Faculty of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (F-FANR), together with PhD and Master’s students from the Food Innovation, Bioprocessing, Nutrition and Health (FIBNH) program at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), adopts a multi-factorial and multi-dimensional approach, integrating IoT-enabled smart farming technologies with consumer behavior analysis to accelerate the commercialization of Wolffia as a sustainable protein source.
The global food system faces growing pressure to provide sustainable, nutritious protein amid rising populations and climate challenges – driving the need for alternative protein sources. Among emerging plant-based ingredients, Wolffia – the world’s smallest flowering aquatic plant – has attracted increasing scientific and commercial interest due to its rapid growth rate, high protein content, and minimal requirements for land and water. Recognizing the potential of aquatic plants in future food systems, researchers at AIT have been exploring the role of Wolffia as a sustainable protein source. A foundational literature review conducted by the research team of Food Innovation, Nutrition and Health (FINH) program at AIT was recently published in the journal Resources under the title Aquatic Plants for Blue Protein Innovation: Bridging Nutrition, Sustainability, and Food Security, highlighting the potential of aquatic plants to contribute to sustainable nutrition and global food security.
Another study by Ms. Nontikarn Taramark, a master’s graduate of FINH program further reinforces this potential. Her research, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the Journal of Sustainable Food Technology under the title “Optimizing Wolffia globosa Protein Extraction by Ultrasonic Pretreatment and Enhancing Protein Attributes Through LAB Fermentation,” demonstrates how advanced processing techniques, such as ultrasonic pretreatment and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation, can significantly improve protein extraction efficiency and enhance the functional and nutritional properties of Wolffia-derived proteins. These findings highlight the importance of integrating bioprocessing innovations to unlock the full value of Wolffia as a next-generation sustainable food ingredient.
Despite its promising characteristics as a sustainable plant-based protein source, as an ingredients and functional ingredient, ensuring consistent quality and scalability in Wolffia cultivation remains a key challenge in translating into a reliable commercial protein source. To address these challenges, Mr. Prasit Pongsoon, a PhD scholar developed the FINH (Future Intelligent Nutritional Harvest) Precision Protein Farming platform – a data-driven approach designed to enhance cultivation efficiency and ensure production stability across diverse farming environments.
Professor Anil Kumar Anal and PhD scholar Mr. Prasit Pongsoon with the FINH Smart Wolffia Farming System installed at the FIBNH Lab, Biotechnology Building, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).
To ensure that the research extends beyond laboratory conditions and demonstrates real-world applicability, the FINH research team established collaborations with four commercial Wolffia farmsthat serve as official data partners. These partnerships encompass diverse cultivation models, includingvertical multi-tier farming systems and concrete pond-based production systems. The vertical cultivation systems include collaborations with:
- Wolffia Vertical, Bangkok
- Wolffia Bangkok, Bangkok
The structured design facilitates consistent data collection across cultivation cycles and supports comparative performance analysis. Additional collaborations with concrete pond cultivation farms provide valuable insights into Wolffia production under semi-open agricultural conditions:
- Pin to Plant Farm, Nakhon Sawan Province
- Andaman Resort, Khon Kaen Province
Through these collaborations, the FINH platform moves beyond laboratory experimentation toward a fully operational data-driven production ecosystem, accelerating the translation of research innovation into industry-relevant applications.
Field validation,FINH research team established structured collaborations with commercial Wolffia farms serving as official data partners
While technological innovations are improving production readiness, understanding consumer perceptions is essential for evaluating the market potential of emerging food ingredients. As part of this research, Ms. Khin Nyein Chan Zaw, a Master’s graduate of the Food Innovation, Nutrition and Health (FINH) program at AIT, conducted a consumer study involved 319 university students in Thailand and assessed awareness, prior consumption experience, and willingness to consume sustainable novel protein sources including Wolffia-based products. The results indicate high awareness of Wolffia among young consumers, commonly recognized by its Thai name “Khai-Pham” and popularized through social media. Notably, 84.6% of respondents were aware of Wolffia and 61.4% had previously consumed it, suggesting existing cultural familiarity within the Thai food landscape. The study also identifies awareness of health benefits – largely driven by digital trends – as a key factor influencing acceptance.
Ms. Khin Nyein Chan Zaw conducting a field consumer survey with university students in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand
FINH team and Tastebud Thailand at AIT during their first meeting to explore collaboration for sustainable food innovation.
Collectively, research and collaborations within the Food Innovation, Bioprocessing, Nutrition and Health (FIBNH) program at AIT highlight strong progress in advancing Wolffia as a sustainable protein toward commercialization. While it demonstrates significant environmental potential and growing consumer interest, challenges in production scale and value-chain development remain. Advancing Wolffia into a commercially viable ingredient will require coordinated efforts in precision cultivation, product innovation, supply chain expansion, and consumer engagement. Beyond research, industry discussions are underway, including potential collaboration with Tastebud, a Thailand-based food innovation company. In parallel, AIT Faculty of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (F-FANR) continues to strengthen partnerships among industry leaders, scientists, researchers, and policymakers to support a more sustainable and resilient food system.
