Solving climate change
We believe that seaweed must be part of the solution to solve the biggest challenge on our planet: climate change. Seaweed is our largest untapped resource and we must make the necessary steps to use this sustainable gift of nature. We can replace animal based protein with seaweed protein, stop deforestation for soy beans and grow local seaweed. We can replace fossil fuel based ingredients with seaweed compounds. We can stop climate change and provide the growing world population with healthy and nutritious food from seaweed.
Our vision
Seaweed farms on non-arable land in coastal areas
There is an abundance of land close to the sea available that has no farming, agricultural or economic use. There are 500,000 square kilometers of flat, coastal desert land in the world, from Africa to South America to Australia, that is suited for on-land seaweed cultivation. Since in general there is an abundance of solar radiation it allows the generation of sustainable energy from solar, creating a fully sustainable and continuous seaweed production process with the highest degree of control over quality, yield and traceability of the seaweed.
Creating sustainable and social impact
Seaweedland aims to improve the local living conditions of communities in the coastal regions where we deploy our seaweed cultivation facilities. We create jobs for people to work in our on-land seaweed farms as well in the post-processing of seaweed, e.g. drying, grinding and local bio-refining.
Seaweedland aims to be a company with both a sustainability impact as well as a social impact by providing interesting and clean job and learning opportunities to many of our team-members.
Blooming deserts to feed the planet
The protein yield per hectare of on-land seaweed cultivation is much higher compared to cultivating land based crops, like soy beans, while seaweed does not need fresh water nor deforestation. This makes on land seaweed cultivation the most promising method of cultivating protein, on an industrial scale. And all energy needed for pumping and lighting is generated by sustainable sources. This makes seaweed cultivation on land the most environmentally friendly methods for the production of protein from natural resources.
Increase global food production
How do we increase food production by more than 50%, on a limited amount of arable land, to feed a projected 10 billion people by 2050?
The solution could come in the form of nutritious and protein-dense algae, grown in onshore, seawater-fed aquaculture systems. Growing algae onshore could close a projected gap in society’s future nutritional demands while also improving environmental sustainability.
Food that does not compete with other uses
"We have an opportunity to grow food that is highly nutritious, fast-growing, and we can do it in environments where we’re not competing for other uses. And because we’re growing it in relatively enclosed and controlled facilities, we don’t have the same kind of environmental impacts", according to Charles Greene, professor emeritus of earth and atmospheric sciences, Cornell University.
Even as the earth’s population grows in the coming decades, climate change, limited arable land, lack of freshwater and environmental degradation will all constrain the amount of food that can be grown.
On-land seaweed farms to feed the world sustainably
Seaweed will play an essential role in creating a sustainable world and feeding the rapidly growing world population without harming eco-systems.
World population is expected to grow to 10 billion people
In 1950 there were 2.5 billion people on the planet. Now, there are more than 8 billion. The UN expects a global population of around 10 billion will already be reached in 2057.
Consumption of protein rich food will grow
The increasing world population will lead to increased consumption of protein rich food. An average adult human needs between 50 and 60 grams of protein per day to stay healthy. Proteins are a fundamental requirement for individuals, necessary for muscle mass strength and maintenance, especially in aged individuals. Proteins are essential for healthy growth in children and protect the bones in all stages of life.
But how can we produce enough protein to feed 10 billion people?
Animal based protein result in environmental and health problems
More animal proteins from meat and dairy products are not the solution. However, if we do nothing, the global demand for meat will be millions of tons higher than it is now. It is expected that if we do nothing 76% more meat will be consumed in 2050 compared to 2007, resulting in many environmental and human health problems.
Problems of animal based proteins
Climate change
Keeping livestock contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Ruminants, like cows, emit methane via burbs and farts to the amount of 5 Gigaton CO2e per year. This is almost as much as the CO2 emission of the entire US. That means that: 'If cattle were a country, they would rank third in greenhouse gas emissions", right behind China, the US and more than India.
Deforestation
Extensive cattle ranching for dairy and meat is the number one cause of deforestation. Livestock are fed from two sources: land on which the animals graze and land on which feeding crops, such as soy and cereals, are grown.
The deforestation caused by cattle ranching is responsible for the release of 340 million tons of carbon to the atmosphere every year, equivalent to 3.4% of current global emissions.
Beyond deforestation, cattle pastures increase the risk of fire and are a significant degrader of aquatic ecosystems, soil erosion, river siltation and contamination with organic matter.
Nitrogen deposition and loss of biodiversity
High nitrogen deposition, caused by the excess of manure creates many problems and leads to loss of biodiversity on natural areas. Released ammonia from manure of animals, containing nitrogen, reacts in the air to form nitrogen oxides and fine dust that lands on natural ground and precious eco-systems, where they raise the nutrient level and contribute to soil acidification.
This results in an imbalance in nutrients, including a shortage of calcium, potassium and magnesium, and a surplus of nitrogen. The diversity of plant species declines, and there are knock-on effects on birdlife and other fauna.
Nitrogen in the air also leads to the formation of ozone (smog), and it also generates fine dust, resulting in negative health effects, like asthma.
Health hazards
Research consistently reveals that the consumption of animal based proteins is too high, resulting in health hazards, e.g. cardiovascular diseases, diabetes type II, etc. A change in consumption trends from animal based diets to plant-based diets has created potential benefits for individual health.
Why seaweed offers a solution
Seaweed is the greatest untapped resource on the planet
Seaweed must be part of the solution. Seaweed is the greatest untapped resource on the planet. Seaweed contains vitamins, minerals, fibers, omega 3 and a high percentage of proteins up to 40% of dry weight. In addition, seaweed exhibits antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-ageing biological activities.
Most sustainable source of protein
Seaweed generates oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide and and reduces the acidification of the ocean. Seaweed grows fast and doesn’t need fresh water. This makes seaweed the most sustainable source of protein and a solution towards a sustainable food and feed.
Superfood
Seaweed is a superfood, as much for its environmental benefits as its potent nutritional properties. Seaweed relies on nitrogen and phosphate to grow, so there is potential to grow seaweed in areas where there is agricultural pollution and convert those pollutants intro nutrients.
Highly efficient on-land seaweed cultivation
Seaweedland believes that on-land aquaculture systems will become the dominant production systems for seaweed, providing the highest quality seaweed at the best possible price.
Seaweedland developed a technology for growing seaweed on land, in seawater using innovative cultivation tanks.
On-land cultivation of seaweed allows for the highest degree of control over traceability, quality consistency, supply consistency, food safety providing pure seaweed that does not contain shell fish. This makes on-land seaweed cultivation one of the most environmentally friendly methods for the production of biomass and protein.
Highest protein production per square meter
Seaweed cultivation on-land produces the highest amount of protein per square meter. Seaweed can even be produced on land that cannot be used for agriculture. Cultivating seaweed on-land generates eleven times more protein per square meter, compared to soy-beans and 800 times more land is needed to produce a kilogram of protein from beef versus protein from on-land seaweed cultivation.
Saline agriculture
On-land seaweed cultivation is a form of saline agriculture that creates many social and economic opportunities for coastal communities, like employment, a stable income, local food, export and sustainable economic growth. On-land seaweed cultivation can even be developed in dry areas with only access to salt or saline water, and no or limited access to fresh water, on low-fertile land that is not suitable for agriculture. On-land seaweed cultivation can be developed in dry areas, even in deserts.
Global market for seaweed is growing 10% per year
There is a growing demand for sustainable and natural ingredients for food, feed and cosmetics.
Seaweed offers unique properties to become a sustainable component for these industries.
Current seaweed cultivation has major drawbacks: polluted sea water, quality inconsistency, seasonality, limited maritime space. That's why we focus on on-land seaweed cultivation.
Our mission
Accelerate the transition towards sustainable food, feed and cosmetics by bringing affordable, high quality seaweed to the market.
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