Seaweed is a versatile marine macroalgae that is increasingly gaining recognition for its multifaceted contributions to development, environmental sustainability, food security, and gender empowerment. The global seaweed market is valued at approximately $17 billion, with exports reaching $1 billion in 2021 (UNCTAD, 2023).
Seaweed uses span various areas, including human food consumption and industrial sectors such as hydrocolloids and pharmaceuticals. The ocean crop is also used in environmental projects such as non-plastic substitutes, carbon capture and renewable energy sources like biofuel. Seaweed can also offer sustainable solutions to help improve livelihoods in developing countries, particularly for poor coastal communities. It can rapidly regenerate and supports ecosystem restoration. Women play a significant role in seaweed production, processing, and commercialization.
However, much of the seaweed sector’s economic, environmental, and social potential remains untapped and remains greatly unregulated. During a time of multiple food security, environmental and social challenges, sustainable development of emerging ocean economic sectors such as seaweed takes on a new urgency. Despite its multiple and multifaceted contributions to sustainable development, seaweed has historically been underrepresented in the public sphere.
Speakers' Corner
A "Speakers' Corner" will be set up at the 36th Session of the Committee on Fisheries (8-12 July 2024), to allow participants to share perspectives, approaches, and solutions for sustainable aquatic food systems. This seaweed event will be hosted by Chantal Line Carpentier (UNCTAD) and Vincent Doumeizel (UN COMPACT & GSC), with the aim of presenting the state-of-the-art analysis of the opportunities that seaweed could bring to address food security, environmental sustainability, and to empower women in this sector.
Outcome
The expected outcome of this event is enhanced understanding by FAO member states of seaweed’s potential as a regenerative solution to improve food security, environmental performance, livelihoods, especially for women, and to address multiple global crises. That understanding would underpin growing international public debate and dialogue on the trade policy, development, and science interphase, including the need for designing a United Nations coordination and capacity creation mechanism for the sector.
Chantal Line Carpentier joined DITC, UNCTAD after serving as Chief, UNCTAD New York Office of the Secretary-General, since 2014. She brings to the Branch over 25 years of work experience in International Trade, and Environmental and Agro-Economics.
Prior to working with UNCTAD, she supported the Commission on Sustainable Development and served as Major Groups (of non-State actors) Coordinator for the UN Rio+20 Conference and the SDGs negotiations at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and supported the sustainable consumption and production and sustainable agriculture negotiations. As Head of the North American Free Trade Agreement Commission for Environmental Cooperations, she lead work on the nexus of environment, economy, and trade. She also served as Agro-environmental policy analyst for Winrock International, and post-Doctoral fellow/Brazil office manager for the International Food Policy Research Institute.
She obtained a PhD. in Agro-Environmental Economics from Virginia Technology and MSc. and BSc. from McGill University. She has an extensive list of publications on sustainable agriculture, trade and environment, sustainable consumption and production, financing for sustainable development, stakeholder engagement, global value chains, micro, small and medium enterprises, and economic empowerment of women.
Vincent Doumeizel is Senior Adviser on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact as well as director of the Food Programme at the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
A self-described optimist and global citizen, Vincent has in recent years devoted himself to promoting a food revolution and environmental solutions based on sea resources, especially seaweed. Vincent leads the charitable objectives of the Foundation through the funding of innovative projects to drive safety in the food supply chain.
Partnering with the UN, FAO, World Bank, WWF, universities, NGOs and large brands, Vincent released the “Seaweed Manifesto” and now co-leads the Global Seaweed Coalition with the objective to scale up the seaweed industry safely in order to address some of the world’s most important challenges, such as hunger, global warming, pollution and poverty.
Related
Topic
Trade and environment
Programa
Contact
David Vivas Eugui, david.vivaseugui@unctad.org
Vincent Doumeizel, vincent.doumeizel@lr.org
Marcio Souza de Castro, marcio.castrodesouza@fao.org
