Climate changer, sustainable food source, plastics alternative and more, all in one humble plant.
Learn more about how seaweed can change the world for the better.
Why Seaweed?
A food source for humans
Expanded seaweed farming (which requires no land, fresh water, fertilizer, or pesticides) can help address global food insecurity.
Seaweed is a nutrient-rich food source for humans. It’s low in fat and rich in proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and essential micronutrients.
A climate change solution
Cultivated at scale, seaweed can grow up to 60 times faster than land-based plants. It sequesters greenhouse gases, making it an important carbon sink.
Seaweed helps reduce ocean acidification and curbs ocean eutrophication.
Well-designed seaweed farms protect the seabed from coastal erosion and commercial fishing, while improving water quality, creating marine sanctuaries for sea life, and increasing biodiversity
An animal feed and fertilizer
Seaweed is a sustainable source of feed for livestock. This decreases the demand for carbon-intensive land-based agriculture, which can lead to deforestation and other environmental issues.
Supplementing livestock feed with a small amount of seaweed can reduce methane output by nearly 60% in cattle and up to 80% in sheep.
Seaweed converted into fertilizer brings carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, and other nutrients to the soil, enriching the land and increasing yields.
A source of job creation
Seaweed farming and processing creates jobs, particularly in coastal communities and developing countries.
According to the World Bank, the seaweed farming industry could create up to 100 million jobs by 2050, which is roughly the number currently employed in marine capture fisheries.
A plastic alternative
Seaweed can be refined and processed to create bio-packaging, an alternative to fossil-fueled based plastic packaging.
Bioplastic from seaweed is biodegradable within six weeks, compared to several hundred years for synthetic plastics.
Alternative packaging could reduce the nearly 8 million metric tons of single-use plastic thrown into the ocean annually.
Seaweed Education
Learn more here
We’ve pulled together our favorite learning materials, articles and videos on seaweed.
L1: Seaweed – an overview
L2: Seaweed as a climate solution
L3: Seaweed and carbon dioxide removal
L4: Seaweed and emission reduction
L5: Growing seaweed
Resources
Seaweed Research
Check out the latest research related to climate change, ocean ecosystems, potential seaweed markets and more.
Cooking with Seaweed
Healthy and delicious recipes that go beyond salad and sushi.
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