Genesis wins AFR Sustainability Leaders 2026 Award for Australian agricultural climate innovation

National recognition highlights Australian microalgae innovation bringing together agricultural productivity, sustainable food supply and climate solutions

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Australian microalgae company Genesis has won the Agriculture & Environment category at The Australian Financial Review Sustainability Leaders 2026 Awards.

The award recognises Genesis' development of practical microalgae-based solutions designed to improve agricultural productivity while reducing environmental impact.

Making sustainability work for agriculture

Agriculture is under growing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, but new technologies will only achieve meaningful scale if they also make economic sense for farmers.

Genesis develops microalgae applications designed to bring productivity, affordability and emissions reduction together. At the centre of its work is Chlorella grown in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Region using a comparatively low-energy cultivation process.

By keeping the algae wet rather than drying it, Genesis has developed a livestock supplement targeting a cost of around 20 cents per animal per day, compared with approximately $2 for some dried alternatives.

Trials with Queensland cattle producers have reported faster growth and earlier achievement of production weight. Shortening the production cycle has the potential to reduce the period over which cattle generate methane while improving production efficiency and farm economics.

Genesis is also developing microalgae applications for crop productivity, carbon capture and utilisation, and agricultural methane reduction, working with research institutions and universities in Australia and internationally.

Genesis CEO Eric Chen said the award came at an important stage in the company's growth.

"We now have an opportunity to take this Australian technology into more products and markets, while strengthening our R&D capabilities and exploring how microalgae can help address pressing climate challenges," Chen said.

Genesis co-founder Colin McGregor said commercial value had always guided the company's agricultural work.

"Farmers shouldn't have to choose between reducing their environmental impact and running a profitable business," McGregor said.

"If a solution is affordable, improves animal performance and delivers a clear return, it has a much better chance of being adopted at the scale needed to make a real difference."

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About Genesis

Genesis is an Australian microalgae technology company developing solutions across sustainable agriculture, food supply, animal nutrition, human health and environmental applications. Genesis grows Australian Chlorella at large-scale cultivation operations in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Region.