Seaweed Farming in Southeast Asia
Sydney, Australia: Oceanfarmr, a leading provider of solutions for ocean farm operations, and Coast 4C, a social enterprise dedicated to regenerative seaweed farming, have joined hands to empower small-scale seaweed producers in Southeast Asia through the development of cutting-edge mobile technologies.
Coast 4C’s mission revolves around establishing the world’s largest supply chain for regenerative seaweed, focusing on bringing benefits to Communities, Commerce, Conservation, and Climate. With 500 registered farms contributing to the $1 billion Carrageenan market, Coast 4C provides extensive support, including marketing assistance, farm start-up packages, disaster relief, and crucial research and development guidance.
Oceanfarmr specializes in comprehensive ocean farm operations management, offering a sophisticated system with smartphone apps and web-based dashboards. The collaboration’s primary goal is to create technologies that enhance the performance of farm operations, improve financial aspects, and enable ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) monetization for seaweed farmers across Southeast Asia.
In the initial phase, the focus is on capturing and validating seaweed conditions using scoring methodologies based on photos and manager reviews. This data will lay the groundwork for developing an AI scoring algorithm, streamlining the data collection process for Coast 4C’s research and development initiatives related to seaweed strains and cultivation methods.
Nicholas Hill, Co-founder & CEO of Coast 4C, expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasizing its focus on optimizing operations, addressing challenges, and fostering sustainable growth within the seaweed industry. The partnership aims to leverage Oceanfarmr’s technological prowess to enhance efficiency, provide effective solutions, and contribute to a prosperous and environmentally friendly future for the sector.
As part of the collaboration, Oceanfarmr will lead the development of a scoring methodology for encoding seaweed conditions within the app, paving the way for future integration of an AI algorithm. Coast 4C will oversee and manage nurseries and field sites, contribute valuable insights for seaweed condition scoring, provide training, and offer supervision during implementation.
Ewan McAsh, CEO of Oceanfarmr, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration’s potential to elevate crop yields, financial security, and sustainability for small-scale seaweed producers in Southeast Asia. The partnership aligns seamlessly with Oceanfarmr’s mission to utilize technology for promoting sustainable ocean farming practices and contributing to positive social and environmental impacts in the region.
The collaboration signifies a significant stride towards advancing regenerative seaweed farming practices and supporting the well-being of small-scale producers across Southeast Asia.