Our seas are benefitting from the growing consumer demand for seaweed
Climate change has been described as the greatest crisis of a generation, and with good reason. The planet’s average surface temperature has risen 1.18 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century, driven by increased carbon dioxide emissions. 2016 and 2020 are tied for the warmest years on record, and the ocean has absorbed much of this increased heat. Since 1969, the top 100 metres of the ocean have warmed by more than 0.33 degrees Celsius.[1]
Growing data surrounding the climate crisis has led to an increasingly concerned consumer base. Research from Google highlights the importance placed on sustainability by the growing ‘Generation Greta’, who are already demanding circular systems that meet their needs without causing damage to people and the planet.[2]
At the same time, climate change is having very real consequences for the farmers and harvesters at the top of the supply chain.
The decline of fishing and the rise of seaweed harvesting
In Scarborough, fisherman Wave Crookes has fished for haddock and cod since the age of eight. He recalls how “all the harbours up and down the coast were full of white fish trawlers.”
But over the past quarter of a century, this fleet has steadily disappeared. This is something Crookes put down to climate change.
“As the water has warmed up, it’s driven the fish north and now you’ve got to go as far as Shetland to earn a living from white fish.”
However, Crookes and his partner Laura Robinson have put their talents into a new venture which could both replace lost fishing jobs and benefit the coastal climate. They have started SeaGrown, the UK’s first offshore seaweed farm.[1]
How does seaweed benefit the environment?
SeaGrown is just one example of how industries can make a profit from reducing the UK’s contribution to climate change. Seaweed can be put to many of the same uses as fossil fuels, but only uses as much carbon dioxide as it takes in while growing. Experts have also suggested feeding seaweed to microbes in sealed containers to break down constituent elements like carbon, which could then be captured and put underground, removing it from the atmosphere.
In fact, one 2015 study suggested that covering 9% of the world’s oceans in seaweed and capturing its carbon could offset the annual emissions of the entire globe.[1]
Seaweed creates a vital habitat for other marine life and grows incredibly quickly compared to land plants. Giant kelp, for example, can grow 60cm per day[2]. It’s a substantial resource which can benefit coastal farmers, and impact a range of industries, including culinary.
Vegan sustainability
It’s difficult to discuss climate change without covering the growing popularity of plant-based diets. In many ways, the rise of sustainability and veganism among consumers go hand-in-hand. Over the last 10 years, the number of people following a vegan diet in the UK has increased a massive 360%[3]. And of the thousands of people converting to veganism, a third are doing so for environmental reasons, according to the BBC.[4]
But while there are benefits attached to going vegan, one thing holding back the vegan revolution is consumers’ fear that they are missing out on key vitamins, nutrients and minerals by foregoing meat and animal produce.
One of the clearest examples of this comes from iodine. In the UK, the most common sources of iodine are cow’s milk, eggs and sea fish,[1] creating a greater risk of deficiency in vegans. One study by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) reflected this, finding that iodine deficiency was an issue in both vegan and mixed diets, but vegan participants were particularly at risk. A third of vegans who took part in the study had iodine levels lower than 20 micrograms per litre. This is the limit defined by the World Health Organisation as the threshold below which you are classed as dangerously deficient in iodine.[2]
Seaweed is the only viable vegan source of iodine. We measure every batch of our seaweed to ensure that our PureSea™ range provides a significant and natural source of iodine. Just one gram of our Scottish Organic seaweed provides as much iodine as three whole mackerel.
As such, seaweed has an important part to play in supporting the rise of plant-based diets, ultimately supporting both the environment and our coastlines by increasing demand. PureSea™ is natural, sustainably sourced, and easy to incorporate into a wide range of food and nutrition applications.