Work

Comparative assessment of the global seaweed sector across developed, developing and least developed economies

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Seaweed cultivation is one of the most sustainable marine production systems. The economic and nutritional importance of seaweed is increasing because of its protein, vitamin, essential amino acid, and various bioactive compounds. It is a nutrient-dense “blue food” that can be grown without freshwater, fertilizers, or pesticides and has a rapid growth rate. It also provides ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and nutrient bioremediation. However, comparative analyses of the global seaweed sector across different economic groups remain limited. This review explores the socio-economic dimensions of seaweed production and consumption across different countries, highlighting differences in technological capacity and socio-economic conditions that influence the ability to transform it into nutritional, economic, and ecologically valuable marine resource. Developed countries such as Japan and South Korea have well-established seaweed industries that increasingly use advanced cultivation technologies and integrated production systems for high-value pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and functional food applications. By contrast, commodity-scale production is dominated by developing countries such as China, Indonesia, and Philippines where the industries primarily focus on hydrocolloid production and value-added products. India is an emerging producer, with sectoral development supported by government initiatives. However, the sector remains constrained by uneven community participation, weak institutional coordination, inadequate infrastructure for seedling production, and fluctuating market prices. These challenges have created a substantial gap between production potential and actual socio-economic outcomes. These regions face inadequate infrastructure, limited technical capacity, weak value chains, low investment, and dietary practices that may constrain seaweed consumption. The sector also faces biological and environmental constraints. These include genetic vulnerability associated with limited cultivar diversity, disease susceptibility, and climate-related stresses. There is also uncertainty about the long-term permanence of carbon sequestration associated with seaweed cultivation because of limited monitoring, reporting, and verification systems. Nevertheless, region-specific technologies offer opportunities to address these disparities through artificial intelligence, satellite-based site selection, mobile disease diagnostics, automation, and genomic approaches. In addition, inclusive development requires greater emphasis on gender equity and equitable participation across the value chain. The study focuses to addresses current research gaps by critically comparing the development, cultivation systems, industrial applications, environmental impacts and policy aspects of the seaweed industry across developed, developing and least developed countries. From an economic perspective, it also integrates biological, technological, environmental, and socioeconomic aspects to evaluate obstacles and opportunities for a climate-resilient and high-value global seaweed industry. This study also compares the production and consumption trends across country groups, identifies disparities in access and utilization. It further explores potential pathways toward a circular blue economy that integrates sustainability, food security, technological innovation, and socioeconomic inclusion to facilitate a shift from biomass-based production to decentralized, value-added seaweed biorefinery systems.

Source: Discover Sustainability

DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-04784-4