A factory will soon start making green food from air and electricity

Farming is devastating the planet. But there could be a much more environmentally friendly way to feed ourselves: using renewable energy to turn carbon dioxide into food.

“This is becoming a reality,” says Pasi Vainikka at Solar Foods. The company is building the first commercial-scale factory, near Helsinki in Finland, that will be able to make food directly from CO₂. It will produce 100 tonnes per year, enough for 4 or 5 million meals, he says. “We are a bit behind schedule, but production may start just about in 2023,” says Vainikka.

There can be no doubt about …