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90 | BLUE INNOVATIONS





            A SEAWEED REVOLUTION
            Hidden champion



            of the ocean




            Europe is banking on the seaweed bioindustry, a sustainable and

            highly promising solution, to get the most out of the ocean whilst
            contributing to its regeneration.


            In the early 20  century, the visionary Prince Albert I   EUROPE COUNTS ON
                        th
            of Monaco had already shone the spotlight on the si-  SEAWEED
            gnificant potential of seaweed, an abundant and rege-
            nerative resource. Following this historic introduction   An increasingly popular ingredient in gourmet
            to the meeting’s opening address, the director of the   cooking, seaweed has attracted many enthusiasts in
            Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, Robert Calca-  a wide array of fields. After a presentation on its ability
            gno, encouraged faster development of a sustainable   to regenerate, the director of the Seaweed for Europe
            seaweed industry in a resilient Green Deal Europe. Al-  programme, Adrien Vincent, referred to the report
            though still far behind Asia, which accounts for almost   “Hidden  Champion  of  the  Ocean”  (October  2020)
            all of a booming market, Europe is mapping out a pro-  to  explain  the  myriad  applications  and  social,  envi-
            mising path encouraging sustainable seaweed-based   ronmental and economic benefits linked to seaweed
            practices, as explained by Maris Stulgis, Policy Officer   farming, which can be developed offshore, combined
            at the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fi-  with wind or aquaculture farms, or even on coastal
            sheries.                                     farms. Vincent Doumeizel, from the United Nations
                                                         Global Compact, shared his perspective on the use
                                                         of seaweed in human history, before presenting the
            APPETISER                                    Safe Seaweed Coalition, a global initiative seeking to
                                                         promote safety standards for the seaweed industry.
            The chef at the Menton restaurant Mirazur (3 Michelin
            stars),  Mauro  Colagreco,  explained  his  culinary  ap-  The director of the Nobel Foundation, a former spe-
            proach to seaweed, as demonstrated by the menu at   cial envoy for oceans in Norway, Vidar Helgesen,
            this prestigious French restaurant. Customer interest in   mentioned commitments to seaweed by 14 heads of
            these flavours has even led to a new restaurant project   state from the top-level panel for a sustainable ocean
            dedicated to sea products, which will be linked to its   economy. The director personally committed to ensu-
            own seaweed farm.                            ring that seaweed would be on the menu at the next
                                                         official Nobel dinner!









                                                                                     Seaweed for Europe
                                                                                     unites stakeholders from
                                                          PROFILE                    industrial associations,
                                                                                     investors, growers,
                                                                                     processors, technology
                                                         suppliers, universities and opinion leaders. Over
                                                         80 organisations from 15 European countries are
                                                         involved in the European seaweed industry.
                                                    © Adrien Vincent
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