Seaweed sustainability – food and nonfood applications

At present sustainability is one of the main societal challenges. The core objective of global sustainability is to match the supply of food, feed, and fuel with the demand of the world’s growing population in the most appropriate way possible. As we look toward unlocking the potential of our seas and oceans as a reserve of much needed resources to sustain our planet while protecting, improving, and helping our seas and oceans to flourish in order to increase their value to the economy, society, and the environment. Cultivation of seaweed has the capacity to grow massive amounts of nutrient-rich food for human consumption. Ocean farms are seemingly more sustainable compared to land-based agriculture because cultivation of seaweeds requires no fresh water, chemical fertilizer, or land, which are the significant negative factors to land-based cultivation. Apart from being an excellent source of food, seaweeds can be a substantial feedstock for biomass, biofuel production, and for animal feeds.