Switzer founded Proteus Corporation and the Earthrise Company which built the first farm in California, the forerunner to Earthrise Farms. Earthrise introduced spirulina in 1979. Parallel to commercial production has been the notable work of Ripley and Denise Fox. Large commercial farms could produce spirulina, but if the hungriest people had no money to buy it, they would never get any. Denise and Ripley Fox, 1987.
Villages have an abundance of human and animal wastes - a source of pollution and disease.
Intestinal parasites are spread by contact with wastes. The first step in improving health and increasing effective food production is eliminating intestinal parasites through sanitation and waste treatment. Properly handled, wastes can be converted to energy, compost, clean nutrients and even food. The enthusiasm, participation and training of the village people are vital to the success of the integrated system. Villagers must be shown how they can improve their own sanitation, health, nutrition and village ecology, and the means to generate income from the compost, biogas fuel, fish and algae.