Europe is at crossroads. The health of our ocean is at peril, climate change consequences are increasingly manifesting, inequalities are on the rise, the economic future is uncertain. At the same time, the European Green Deal constitutes the most ambitious political package to build a greener, more resilient, and fair Europe.
Achieving this ambition will require the development of new and regenerative industries. Seaweed (macroalgae) is a promising ocean material which could support this agenda. While Europe’s seaweed sector today remains small, the conditions are favourable to grow it into a vibrant, innovative and sizeable industry with many social and environmental benefits. The Seaweed for Europe coalition was launched in 2020 to catalyse such change and unlock seaweed’s remarkable potential.
This report has endeavoured to articulate Seaweed for Europe’s strategic ambitions. In quantifying the extraordinary economic, social and environmental potential of the European seaweed industry, the report seeks to highlight the significance of the opportunity seaweed presents to contribute to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. The report also identifies the principles that must lie at the heart of the industry if it is to be sustainable, and prioritises actions to be undertaken by investors, policy, investment and business decision-makers to address the industry’s main challenges and unlock sustainable and equitable growth. Importantly, the report also contributes to the wider conversation around seaweed taking place throughout Europe and the world.
