Sea Forest founder and chief executive Sam Elsom turned to seaweed farming in 2019, after about 15 years in the textile industry.
The company wants to be the “enabling force” to make agricultural products sustainable without extra costs to farmers and consumers, he told AFP.
The seaweed is grown partly in the open sea and partly in filtered seawater ponds on land, which are easier to replicate elsewhere in the world and allow growers to control light, nutrients, and the availability of carbon.
Sea Forest is already working with Tasmanian dairy company Ashgrove and Australian burger chain Grill’d, and had signed an agreement last year with British supermarket chain Morrisons, Elsom said.
It also held “encouraging” talks with some French dairy producers and was in the process of registering its seaweed products with the European Food Safety Authority, he said.
One of the big challenges was cost to farmers, who need financial incentives and support to make the effort to lower livestock methane emissions worthwhile, Elsom said.
The ocean provides an “amazing natural resource” for food security, he said.
“Seventy-one percent of the Earth’s surface is surrounded by the ocean, and seaweed require zero inputs: No irrigation, no fertiliser, no pesticides.
“So, it can grow up to 30 times faster than land-based plants. It’s very exciting.”
© 2025 AFP
