Today the Dutch company The Seaweed Company launches Blue Farming, a concept that uses the “blue” power of the sea to make agricultural lands and farms more sustainable. The Seaweed Company facilitates this concept with its range of TopHealth products, that result in better health for animals, soils and plants, less use of harmful inputs, and economic benefits for the farmers. Blue Farming is a natural and circular solution for the challenges that farmers are currently facing to make steps towards more sustainable agriculture.
“Seaweed is an incredible plant and untapped resource. It offers many strong health properties and when it is grown at scale in the ocean, it becomes a natural solution for reducing carbon in the atmosphere and the sea”, says Joost Wouters, SeaEO and co-founder at The Seaweed Company.
Blue Farming supports the transition to sustainable and organic farming, whilst regenerating oceans and coastal communities, and contributing to the climate. The concept is ignited by the ambitions of The Seaweed Company to have positive environmental, social and economic impact with seaweed-based solutions.
From sea to soil
Seaweed has lots of valuable applications for humans, animals and plants, but can also serve as basis for materials, bioplastics and energy. With the Blue Farming concept, The Seaweed Company sets foot on shore to use the “blue” power of the sea to support agricultural activities on land. Based on the scientific knowledge about macro algae, the relevant bioactive ingredients of the different species, and the effect on animals, soils and plants, The Seaweed Company defined a portfolio of specific seaweed blends that support farmers with growing more and better crops that are more stress resistant, reducing harmful inputs (antibiotics, fertilisers, pesticides), and improving health & wellbeing of animals (better gut health, more resilience, improved Feed Conversion Rate).
Dr. Anubhav Mohiley, crop scientist at The Seaweed Company: “Its bioactive ingredients can be used in many valuable applications to live more sustainably and to improve the health and resilience of our soils and plant, and it provides economic value to farmers as well.”
Tangible impact with Blue Farming
Seaweed is regenerative by nature. To start with, seaweed, like land plants, uses photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) into biomass. Every 1,000kg of seaweed has absorbed 120kg of CO2, 2kg of nitrate and 0.2kg of phosphate. The seaweed-based product portfolio in the Blue Farming concept offers even more areas where carbon mitigation comes in place:
- The TopHealth Plants range (agriculture, horticulture, pastures, soil) increases Soil Organic Carbon content by up to 15 to 25% over 3 years. On top, it reduces the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.
- TopHealth Swine, Dairy, Poultry and Equine feed supplements support health & wellbeing of farm animals, reduce methane emissions with cows at 30+% (1 cow on TopHealth Dairy reduces 1 ton of CO2e per year) and all animal blends improve Feed Conversion Rate (3-10%), therefore reducing the carbon feed print (10% FCR improvement with 100,000 pigs results in 18,000 tons CO2e reduction per year).
500,000 Blue Farmers in Europe
Blue Farming supports regenerative, nature-inclusive farming approaches. Over the past months, The Seaweed Company has started a variety of strategic cooperations with farmers who embrace the value and benefits of seaweeds by applying the Blue Farming products in their farming practices. All products have been thoroughly tested and every week more evidence is gathered of the Blue Farming power.
Dr. Stefan Kraan, co-founder: “Working on the Blue Farming concept for the past year, we have seen interest from a variety of farmers, from biological dynamic to nature-inclusive and even vegan farmers. So, for every farmer who wants to make a step to improve its sustainable agriculture practices, there are clear benefits. We are continuing to spread the word and are looking for partners that help us achieve one of our impact goals: make agricultural lands and farms more sustainable with 0.5 million Blue Farmers in Europe.”
About The Seaweed Company
The Seaweed Company has been founded in 2018 and specializes in the development of high value products for humans, animals, soils, and plants and in the cultivation of traceable seaweed species at commercial scale. The Seaweed Company owns seaweed production locations in Ireland, Morocco, India and The Netherlands and has developed products that contribute to sustainable agriculture. As well The Seaweed Company is actively involved with innovative research around applications in the medical field (Alzheimer and diabetes), functional food (alternative proteins), sustainable materials (natural composites) and sustainable seaweed cultivation methodologies.
