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Norwegian Seaweed Farming: A Case Study in Sustainability and Local Community Involvement
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Norwegian Seaweed Farming: A Case Study in Sustainability and Local Community Involvement
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 19, 2024

The rapidly growing seaweed industry in Europe, particularly noted for its sustainable farming practices, is currently under scrutiny. A new study from the University of Eastern Finland, focused on Norway's seaweed sector, raises critical questions about the industry's ability to foster an inclusive sustainable transition, despite its potential for local benefits.

Associate Professor Moritz Albrecht of the University of Eastern Finland points out a significant gap in the industry's development trajectory and its inclusivity. "The current political-economic environment of the seaweed industry leaves little room for alternative, inclusive development pathways. While seaweed farming has high sustainable potentials to provide food, feed and biomaterials, the dominant focus on large-scale, techno-innovative, centralised processes, limits its social transformation capacities," he explains.

The study delves into the mismatch between the industry's aspirations and the reality of local community participation in this novel economy. It suggests that despite the sector's promising sustainable contributions, the prevailing emphasis on large-scale, technology-driven methods may marginalize the local, small-scale approaches that are crucial for a truly inclusive sustainability transition.

Sustainability experts have long advocated for a focus on local value chains and small-scale, innovative production and consumption methods. The Norwegian seaweed industry's current development, as observed in the study, seems to be misaligned with these ideals, potentially sidelining hopes and publicly stated policy aims for inclusivity.

The research involved comprehensive interviews with seaweed entrepreneurs, experts, and institutional stakeholders, conducted between 2019 and 2022. It also included an in-depth analysis of policy documents, news reports, and statistical data. The findings not only question the current practices and challenges in seaweed farming but also compare the biophysical and sectoral challenges with future development plans, particularly in the context of sustainable financing and investments, a key aspect of Norway's seaweed sector.

The study indicates that while regional and local benefits are expected from sectoral growth, they are likely to be unevenly distributed, following a 'trickle-down' belief. This calls for a diversification of the sector's policy framework and investment instruments to include more social, innovative approaches alongside the existing techno-innovative solutions.

Proposed measures for fostering local development include the establishment of decentralized seaweed processing plants and local value chains utilizing agro-ecological methods. These would complement central biorefineries and high-tech processing plants, often focused on exports. The study emphasizes the importance of creating local markets, advocating for political support for such initiatives, as they could significantly transform local food cultures towards seaweed use and support a socially sustainable transformation.

The implications of this study extend beyond Norway, touching upon EU policy and the broader political framework in Europe. It underscores the need for a just transition in the seaweed industry, one that equally values environmental sustainability and local community involvement.

The findings of this study, which are part of a special issue by members of the Green Economies Network on Sustainable Finances and Investment, are available in open access, offering valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the emerging seaweed industry in Europe.

Research Report:A billion-euro industry? (De-)territorialisation processes of Norway's seaweed farming assemblage.

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University of Eastern Finland
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