Fact: as much as 70-80% of our planet’s oxygen comes from marine plants and algae, like seaweed. So if you’ve never given seaweed any thought before, maybe that will give you something to chew on. Besides enjoying it around your salmon maki, seaweed is an essential component in everything from beer and cosmetics to plastics and bioscience experiments.

Bottom line is, this macroscopic algae is invaluable to us. That’s why, since the 1960s, DuPont has been the pioneer in making seaweed harvesting as efficient and sustainable as possible. Not just environmentally, but socio-economically, too. True sustainability is only possible when everyone in the supply chain is happy: from the farmers harvesting the seaweed, to the companies that make it into a product.

Supporting communities

Tanzania, Mexico, Chile, Morocco, the Philippines, Indonesia, and more - we source seaweed across the globe. Thousands of families work with us and are able to earn a meaningful income and improve their standard of living. DuPont’s Seaweed Technology Guardian, Erick Ask, often checks in with communities. “The most rewarding thing to see is how people’s lives have improved since they’ve joined this industry. Seeing how they enjoy being able to look after their families.” Another positive outcome is that they’re also raising awareness about the health and cleanliness of the ocean in their communities. He adds: “People protect what they love. And because their livelihoods depend on it, the farmers are actually doing environmental conservation too.”

The big deal about seaweed

Increasing productivity

In Zanzibar, in the early 2000s, we saw an opportunity to help farmers work more efficiently. They would farm during low tide using heavy wooden boats, carry around 20 kilos of seaweed on their heads to their homes, and by the time they returned, the tide would have come in. Our Erick Ask collaborated with a North American sports watercraft company to give them a more efficient way. The result was a durable, lightweight boat that could carry 400 kilos of seaweed at a time. Within just one month of deploying these boats, the farmers’ productivity quadrupled. They were working smarter, and earning more. 

Setting the standard

In 2018, we kicked off an exciting program with the Anderson Cabot Centre for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, focusing on ensuring the sustainability of our seaweed supplies. We’re working together to research and implement improved processes and standards. Chief Scientist and Vice President of the center, John Mandelman, Ph.D., says: “In taking a science-based approach to create and continually improve these guidelines, we hope to make a difference in sustainability across the entire seaweed extract market.” And by that, he means worldwide. It might be ambitious, but we like to aim high.

Our holistic approach

Without a satisfied seaweed buyer, there’d be no work for these farming communities. So we focus on five things: quality, volume, price, timeliness, and sustainability. If there’s a concern in any of these, we address them.

Around the world, every seaweed supply is unique. So we adapt how it’s harvested, and how often. It’s called biology-based management. This, combined with making sure we work inclusively throughout the value chain, is what makes our approach sustainable.