Seaweed, long a traditional component of Asian diets, is increasingly seen as one of the world’s most promising resources for nutrition, livelihoods and climate resilience. Once overlooked, this crop is emerging as a key ingredient in the future of sustainable food systems.
Policymakers are beginning to recognize the nutritional value of seaweed, especially in contexts that are vulnerable to malnutrition and rising food costs. Seaweed supports healthy and affordable diets because it is rich in protein, vitamins, essential minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Seaweed cultivation provides livelihoods and opportunities for diversification in coastal communities that depend on small-scale fisheries
Women are at the heart of the seaweed farming sector: in some countries, they account for up to 90 percent of the workforce employed along the seaweed value chain — from farming to processing and marketing.
As food prices continue to rise and climate change threatens land-based agriculture, the seaweed industry holds great potential to drive inclusive livelihoods, especially in developing countries where it can support local economies and communities, create jobs and empower women and youth.
How seaweed farming can be good for the environment
Beyond its promise for nutrition and livelihoods, seaweed is increasingly recognized as an environmentally regenerative crop. It grows without the need for freshwater or fertilizer, making it a nature-based solution and one of the most environmentally friendly forms of aquaculture.
In addition, seaweed helps remove excess phosphorus and nitrogen from agricultural runoff — water that washes off farmland, carrying animal waste and fertilizers and that can trigger harmful algal blooms in coastal areas.
Seaweed also captures carbon dioxide, and buffers coastlines from turbulence by absorbing and dissipating the energy of waves. So, seaweed farms can help mitigate climate change, safeguard coastlines and make coastal communities more resilient.
As well, seaweed farms can support marine biodiversity, not only by restoring water quality but also because the seaweed itself and the gear used to farm it, such as ropes and cages, can provide shelter for juveniles and breeding habitats for fish and invertebrates.
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