The population is increasing globally at a rapid pace. There is a challenge of feeding 8 bn people globally. As per the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization report world needs to increase agricultural production by 70% to feed the population from 2005 levels. The area under agricultural land is reducing by 0.8% every year. To address the situation researchers have come up with a solution lying in seawater i.e. Seaweed. Seaweed is a common name for countless marine species of plants and algae that grow under the ocean, rivers, lakes and water bodies. The demand for seaweeds and its products increasing globally at a CAGR of 10%. It is a $19bn industry globally with huge potential.
In a country like India, where the coastline ranges from 7,516 km and passes through 9 states. The opportunity for seaweed farming and business has a huge scope. The Asian-Pacific region holds 50% of the commercial seaweed market, which is mainly focused on the food industry. The main use of seaweeds is as food additives and thickeners in the food industry, the paper industry, pharmaceuticals and fertilizers. Despite having huge potential for seaweed in the Asian market the cultivation of seaweed is at an early stage in India. India has the potential to produce 10 million tons of seaweed per year. The global production of seaweed during 2022 was 35 million tons, whereas in comparison to that India was only able to produce 34,000 tons. India only accounts for 0.02% of production globally.
The government has identified potential coastal areas in India and started to promote seaweed farming. Govt has initiated programs like the National Seaweed Mission whose aim is to kickstart seaweed cultivation in India the mission aims to increase cultivation up to 1.12 million tons by 2025. Indian govt came up with a package of 640 crores to promote seaweed cultivation. The mission aims to provide a livelihood to coastal people, helping farmers in cultivation, processing and value addition, the govt is also trying to connect farmers with buyers for their produce seaweeds and govt is also focusing on removing extra carbon dioxide through seaweed cultivation which will be useful in combating climate change.
Here is an example of fish farmers from the state of Odisha. In the Odisha state fish farmers from the region of Chilka are facing the issue of stable income. Fish farming in the region is affected due to frequent cyclones and becoming a problem for farmers in the region. Now the fish farmers from the region adopted seaweed with the help of government initiatives. Other states such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka are also actively participating in practices for increasing the cultivation of seaweed.
Conclusion
Seaweed cultivation can be seen as a promising solution to address the challenge of climate change and food security. With a vast coastline and untapped potential, India has an opportunity to become a major producer in the sector of seaweed. Government initiatives like the National Mission on Seaweed support the farmers in adopting seaweed cultivation. Seaweed farming is going to empower coastal communities and contribute significantly to India’s economic and environmental goals.
(Resource: Trademap.org)
