In 2022 we conducted an in-field survey with seaweed farmers across the major seaweed producing regions globally. This report provides insights from our on-the-ground research of the top 5 commercially produced seaweed species today.
Over the past fifty years, commercial seaweed farming has grown into a $16.7 billion industry. Driven by an increasing pressure on food and feed supplies, the need for biological alternatives, and a growing understanding of the unique properties of seaweed, new innovations have fostered momentum and excitement about seaweed’s potential globally.
Innovators along the value chain are eagerly scaling up seaweed production and developing new applications using seaweed biomass. However, there are important lessons to be learned from the existing industry, and millions of people are dependent on seaweed as a primary source of income.