Karlotta Rieve1
1 Hatch Blue with funding from The World Bank Group and The Nest Family Office
The single-market reliance of tropical seaweeds farmed in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia brings volatility to the supply and demand of raw dried seaweed, while market research and connectivity to non- hydrocolloid markets is limited. As part of our assessment of the global seaweed production status and market opportunities, Hatch has conducted in-field research across the major seaweed producing regions in these countries and gathered data across the supply chain. Between May and August 2022, we visited and interviewed farmers, local collectors, traders, exporters, processors and ingredient manufacturers and received valuable first hand information on volumes and price trends of the seaweed biomass from the established seaweed farming regions. By analyzing the challenges of farmers and other value chain players this work outlines technology gaps, innovation opportunities and investment needs. Matched with an in-depth analysis on novel products and applications, it further provides an outlook on new market opportunities for the seaweed biomass.
The International Seaweed Symposium will provide the first stage to share our findings with the global seaweed community. By providing information relevant to the decision making of the public and private sector, Hatch, the World Bank and the Nest Family Office hope to catalyze the adoption of innovation all along the seaweed value chain.