Page 53 - Bulletin, Vol.83 No.1, April 2024

Exergue: Seaweed is the world's most untapped resource

Their use of seaweed as a replacement for plastic has already begun. In addition, off
the Namibian desert, a farm is being set up to cultivate algae (macrocystis) that grow by
30 centimetres a day, creating an ecosystem for marine life. Eventually, this farm will
absorb as much greenhouse gas as the Netherlands emits. Of course, we need to
reduce emissions, but we can also reabsorb what is present in the atmosphere. The
carbon sequestered by the algae will be imprisoned at the bottom of the oceans without
being deteriorated by bacteria and transformed into oil. This is one of the themes that
will be developed at COP 26. Algae clean the oceans, absorbing phosphates and
nitrates. Last but not least, seaweed is an enormous engine of growth for the coastal
population, most of which will benefit the wives of fishermen. In Tanzania, 80% of the
industry is in the hands of women. Finally, 70% of the world's population live in coastal
areas and could therefore benefit from a short supply chain for their consumption.

It makes no sense not to use a resource that requires no land, fertilisers,
pesticides or fresh water.

Have the large economic structures
realised that it is in their interest to give
priority to this sector?

Humanity is 10,000 years behind the
times with very little mastery of the
subject. We are still at the artisanal
stage, even in Asian countries.
Seaweed has a complex biodiversity
that requires research. For the time
being, they are difficult to grow in large quantities. Investors who are seeking to
have a virtuous ecological impact, and the increase in vegan consumption, need
to accept that seaweed has a role to play in their value chains, such as Nestlé and
Unilever. There is increasing interest, however, it is still very fragmented. That is
why we created this global seaweed coalition. It is worth pointing out that we
consume seaweed every day in yoghurts, ice creams, juices, etc. Still, their real
potential is not being exploited. There are research centres, notably in Roscoff
where 80 seaweed specialists are working together, in the Netherlands, China and
Japan. I spoke at the UN in New York, and the Global Compact, the FAO and the World
Bank have all endorsed the manifesto. It is important to create an international standard
at Codex Alimentarius level, because the current regulations are Kafkaesque.

A coalition* has been launched. Its board includes international organisations and
country representatives, so there is a real momentum.

AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 83 No.1, 2024-04 52

<<< TDM / TOC