America’s seaweed industry is growing

Across the US, seaweed is on its way to becoming more than just the leaves that tickle your feet in the ocean.

A growing number of startups are seeking to cash in on the burgeoning global seaweed market and turn farms full of kelp and algae into food, skincare products, and environmentally-friendly cattle feed.

Why seaweed? 

The plant has a lot of things going for it:

• It’s easy to grow. Seaweed farming only requires ocean space and the sun – no soil, irrigation, or fertilizer to worry about. The plant also takes just six months to transform from a tiny sprout into a 12-foot-long blade ready to be harvested.
• It has a wide variety of benefits. Seaweed is high in iodine, calcium, and magnesium. These properties have led to products like seaweed salad kits, frozen cubes for smoothies, and even hair or beauty products.
• It’s also better for the environment. Research shows adding seaweed to cattle feed in small amounts reduces methane emissions from cow burps – a key source of greenhouse gases – by more than 80%.

👀 Looking ahead...The global seaweed industry stood at ~$18 billion last year, and is projected to roughly double to $36 billion by 2032. US companies currently produce ~0.01% of the world’s seaweed, though analysts predict that figure will increase drastically in the coming years.