Page 17 - Status Report

The Context

Consumers across the globe are becoming
increasingly health conscious, which has in
turn resulted in a change in their tastes and
preferences. A growing number of consumers
are moving towards the consumption of organic
foods, to avoid adverse health effects caused by
chemical preservatives. Moreover,the increasing
popularity of organic products has significantly
expanded the availability of organic food across
the globe. With organic food becoming easily
accessible, the global organic food market is
expected to witness a remarkable growth. This
opens up opportunities for production of bio-
stimulants, which can help in greatly enhancing
organic crop productivity.

The Initiative

The project involves the development of a sustainable
cultivation model, involving coastal communities to grow
and harvest natural sea plants such as the red algae Kappa
phycusalvarezii. The cultivated sea plants are processed
to produce organic bio-stimulants. The cultivation in itself
provides a new livelihood option for the coastal communities
particularly women, while the output is leveraged to produce
bio-stimulants, which can help in greatly enhancing the
organic crop productivity. These organic biostimulant
products are marketed in the United States under the brand
name AquaSap. Rich in potash and other primary and
secondary nutrients, AquaSap contains substantial amount
of plant growth regulators and are rich in amino acids that
makes it especially effective for improving seed germination,
roots system, soil conditioning, and yield.

The Outcome

Trials carried out by multiple universities and the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR)
institutions at 43 locations on 9 crops and have validated the efficacy of the product. The Aquagri
manufacturing facility has completed necessary organic certification as per the United States
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program. SeaNutri LLC, a joint venture
company between the Indian and the U.S. Partner, is undertaking the marketing and distribution of
the product in the United State.

Status Report 17