Why Seaweed Is A Sustainable Crop Of The Future? India’s Potential Explained

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Researchers in India have long been proposing seaweed cultivation as a form of sustainable agriculture.
Much of India’s coast is ideal for seaweed cultivation with suitable tropical weather, shallow waters and a rich supply of nutrients.

The regions of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu harbour the highest seaweed biodiversity in the country, with around 282 species being reported along Tamil Nadu’s 1,000km (621 miles) coastline
In total, as many as 841 species of seaweed thrive along the Indian coast, though only a few are cultivated
Seaweed has long been sourced by the food industry for its stabilising properties. When processed, it loses its pungency, and seaweed products such as agar gel can withstand high temperatures it can be used as a stabiliser and thickener in pie fillings, icings and meringues.
As it is tasteless, it does not interfere with the flavour of the food, and in ice creams it is used to inhibit the crystallisation of ice. Agar-agar, the main ingredient in falooda and jigarthanda, is a seaweed-based product.

Earlier, seaweed was collected by fishermen through natural harvesting. It was only in 2000 that the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI), along with Pepsico, started cultivating seaweed through the bamboo raft method on an experimental basis.
Later, AquAgri joined hands with CSIR-CSMCRI and ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) and now, the shoreline in places including Mandapam in Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram are dotted with floating farms of seaweed.
Buttressed by studies done by ICAR-CMFRI and CSIR-CSMCRI, fisherwomen in these regions have been trained in cultivating a species of seaweed called Kappaphycus alvareziithat yields carrageenan. Carrageenan is an additive used to thicken, emulsify, and preserve food and drinks — it’s a commercially viable venture.

Fertiliser of the future

Alginate, another extract, is used in restructured and reformed food products such as chicken nuggets. As a binder and emulsifier, it helps meat retain its shape
The seaweed extract, when injected into meat, helps retain its moistness and freshness. Suguna Foods and Venky’s are other major clients of AquAgri.
Although many are wary of using plain dried seaweed in food, cultivation in a controlled environment could result in more people consuming this product packed with vitamins and minerals, say buyers.
Seeing the nutrient value of this sea vegetable and encouraged by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative, AquAgri manufactures a product called Sagarika, derived from the sap of red and brown algae, which acts as a bioenhancer and stimulates the internal growth of plants.

India is poised to create up to 1 million new, sustainable jobs in its effort to become a leading global producer of seaweed.
Along its 8,000 kilometer coastline, India grows barely a fraction of the world’s more than 30 million tons of seaweed, according to research published in Botanica Marina.
With an investment of about ₹640 crore (US$86.8 million), India hopes to increase seaweed production to at least 1 million tons a year by 2025.
The investment is part of India’s Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (Blue Revolution) Scheme.
Passed by the government in May 2020, the scheme will “bring about a Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of a fisheries sector in India
The ₹640 crore will fund seaweed seed banks, nurseries, tissue culture units, processing and marketing units, as well as skill training and business cultivation.
Researchers say that an extract from seaweed also helps in the faster germination of seeds, and this was successfully tested on cotton seeds.
As organic farming becomes the buzzword, seaweed is becoming the fertiliser of the future.
In medicine, research shows a lot of exciting possibilities.
ICAR-CMFRI, Kochi, has used seaweed as the main ingredient in various nutraceutical products, from anti-obesity tablets to anti-arthritic and anti-diabetic pills.
At AquAgri, research is on to make a biofilm from seaweed extract, to be used as a dissolvable cast to dress wounds.

It is cultivated nine months in a year, and harvested every 45 days; one kilo of dried seaweed fetches ₹50 to ₹55. Jayakumar, principal scientist, ICAR-CMFRI, Mandapam, points out that as the cultivation is less labour-intensive and less-technology driven,
it has been taken up by almost 600 women in the region. Industries related to seaweed processing also have a huge potential for those specialising in microbiology, chemistry and food technology.
Tapping into this unrealised potential is the ‘Blue Revolution’ that the government is hoping for, but increasing production is the challenge. B. Johnson, scientist, ICAR-CMFRI, points out, What we produce now is not even enough for the domestic market.

It has beenlaunched for commercial farming of seaweeds and its processing for value addition towards boosting the national economy.
It envisages following activities
Establishing model demonstration farmsover one hectare for cultivation of economically important seaweeds in nearshore and onshore along the Indian coast. Establishment of seaweed nurseries for supplying seed material for large scale farming of economically important seaweeds in the country.
- . Establishment and demonstration of processing technologies/recipes for edible seaweedsin line with consumer acceptability or cultural food habits.
- An activity onseaweed cluster development including value chain development, supply chain development, collection of data on environmental, economic and social impacts of seaweed projects in the country

They are rich in vitamins and minerals and are consumed as food in various parts of the world
They are used for the production of phytochemicals namely agar, carrageenan, and alginate. These phytochemicals are widely used as gelling, stabilizing, and thickening agents in several industries of food, confectionery, pharmaceutical, etc.

Q.Consider the following statements about Seawood mission:

It has beenlaunched for commercial farming of seaweeds and its processing for value addition towards boosting the national economy.
Large seaweeds form dense underwater forests known askelp forests, which act as underwater nurseries for fish, snails and sea urchins.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Both 1 and 2 are correct

(b) 1 Only

(c) 2 only

(d) Both 1 and 2 are incorrect