Lingering Supply Chain Questions About Commercially Farming Seaweed
Is seaweed one step closer to becoming a large-scale methane neutralizer? Seaweed is certainly making headlines again as farms look to scale their operations and commercially produce livestock feed additives. We know it has the potential to impact the world for good, but as the next phase of expansion gets underway, there are still lingering questions about the supply chain logistics of seaweed farms.
Seaweed purifies ocean water and red seaweed in particular has proven to help everything from plants to sheep’s wool grow more abundantly. It can be grown year-round in places like Hawaii where temperatures don’t fluctuate too much from season to season. And the latest data shows a significant reduction in methane emissions; as much as 77% in the Hawaiian cow herd testing conducted by the seaweed farm based in the state, Symbrosia. There doesn’t seem to be a downside.
Even non-livestock sectors like plastic production, fertilizer manufacturing, construction material development and biofuel sources are looking to seaweed for industry innovations. It isn’t any wonder that big name companies are investing in seaweed farming. Ben and Jerry’s, Danone, and the biggest farmer cooperative in the U.S. have partnered with Hawaiian based companies, Symbrosia and Blue Ocean Barns. The federal government invested $2.2 million dollars in seaweed production and market development for the methane reducing qualities.
All investors are expecting seaweed demand to skyrocket. The World Bank estimates the industry will be worth $1.1 billion dollars by 2030. With beef and dairy producers interested, seaweed farms could very well carve out a strong niche in the agricultural sector.
Ultimately the Success Comes Down to Robust Supply Chains
As much as we want seaweed to be the solution, it’s still a little way from being feasible on a large scale. Ocean farming in general is still fairly new. Unlike agricultural land which, in America, is mostly privately owned, ocean water and seafloor are governed by states. As the seaweed industry grows each state will have to decide how to navigate cultivating and harvesting the crops along their beaches, whether they are intended for livestock feed or another use.
Even though seaweed pencils out as an economic success because it grows so quickly and without a high need for extra nutrients, environmental protection groups have been hesitant to introduce non-native plant species into their coastal waters. And they’re not out of line to consider this. Lots of agricultural decisions intended for good have, at the same time, brought tremendous imbalance to ecosystems.
The thing is, even if more states opted to allot ocean space for seaweed production, we are still only talking about southern states with climates suitable for the kind of seaweed used in livestock feed. And most of those states don’t have the necessary production facilities, not to mention, they are still pretty far from the biggest cattle production states.
Thanks to significant funding, a value chain is being created and farmers and ranchers who are willing, can feed seaweed additives to their cows. We lack large scale transport. Of the 50 states, Hawaii is the smallest exporter of goods. Tackling the methane situation through seaweed would require more infrastructure. And more infrastructure tends to lead to more carbon emission.
Ocean seaweed is cost efficient right up until it has to be shipped. On the other end of the equation, aquaculture grown seaweed, while it's a method worth pursuing, is grown in cold climates and requires a lot of energy since it works to mimic tropical conditions. It is a costly operation, but it could be grown very close to the cows who would make use of it.
All hope is not lost for seaweed. With the push to eliminate greenhouse gasses, innovation in technology has surged. Aquaculture continues to find sustainable ways to increase efficiency and productivity. At the same time, clean fuel options are growing that could make transporting seaweed across both land and sea more feasible. And, building out both options bodes well for the industry.
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