Seaweed could provide a solution for alternative ingredients, discover the seaweed farm @zeewaar_rebecca

Seaweed can be cultivated without the use of scarce agricultural land or fresh water. Rebecca Wiering and Jennifer Breaton both believe that this can and must change. 

Seaweed could provide a solution

Wiering: 'In 2050 there will be 9 billion people on this planet. We will need two planets if we continue to consume at the rate we do now. Seaweed could provide a solution. It can be grown without the use of scarce agricultural land or fresh water. Sun and sea is all it needs. It is healthy and a good source of protein. In Asia it is already eaten a lot and more and more seaweed products are on the rise in big American cities. You can even see the trend continue here. More and more chefs use it on their menus. But it is important that the seaweed is produced in a sustainable and transparent way'.

Seaweed farm

Wiering- former marketing communications adviser - and Breaton a former lawyer - decided to seize the opportunity and, in 2013, started the first commercial, sustainable, Dutch seaweed farm. Breaton: 'This is something completely different from the work we used to do, which is why it is also such a big adventure. The reason we do it is that we believe in it'.

Different seaweeds

Because they are still doing the harvesting, processing, product packaging and marketing themselves, the duo work an average day of sixteen hours. Wiering: 'We're pioneering. We try out different seaweeds, and experiment with how much volume we can grow and whilst working on multiple co-branding partnerships, such as bread or cheese with seaweed.

Subtle flavor

It's a matter of time until seaweed is fully accepted. Some people think that it has a fishy taste, but fresh seaweed actually has a very subtle flavor. When it’s dried it’s saltier. Seaweed can be used as a spice and to extract flavors and reinforce other taste sensations in food. Seaweed is a food chameleon'.

Read more about the seaweed farm and future ingredients in the magazine