When you consider agriculture, you almost certainly envision a farm with rows of cereals and vegetables grown within the soil. But there's also a whole business comprised of underwater agriculture, and that's where the trendy food industry cultivates carrageenan, every natural extract from a selected species of red seaweed, Kappa carrageenan is sourced mainly from Kappaphycus alvarezii.
This type of carrageenan(there are three main commercial classes) forms the foremost rigid strongest gels of the carrageenan family( especially within the presence of potassium) and is widely used for its gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. Since carrageenan can strongly bind to proteins, its main application within the food industry is in dairy and meat products. Kappa carrageenan may be used as a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications.
Seaweeds are fast-growing marine algae and have been harvested for centuries to produce food additives like carrageenan, fertilizers, and even animal feeds. Carrageenan is common across food, cosmetic, and pharma industries. It is used largely as a texturing or a jelling agent but utterly essential role as food and habitat in the marine world.
In the mid-90s, seaweed farming was introduced in the fishing town of Mandapam in Tamil Nadu. In the year 2000, the CSMCRI ( Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute) licensed the harvesting technology to PepsiCo. The company goes on to partner with local fishers to grow and harvest seaweed. Ever since seaweed farming went on to become a mainstay in the region with thousands of fishers taken to it. In these seaweed-growing regions, scientists focused on technology development for the cultivation of economically important seaweeds. Scientists developed a viable technology for Kappapycus in India first time as it is the only seaweed commercially cultivated in the country. It is giving livelihood to more than 1000 families in Tamil Nadu only.
Creating large-scale livelihood avenues also meant that over the years ensured reverse migration for hundreds of farmers across rural coastal zones. Today however there seems to be renewed interest in seaweed cultivation particularly because of climate change crises and the newfound status of seaweed as a superfood when Pepsico exited the seaweed scene in Mandapam in 2008. Indian firm Aquagreen took over from them. Supporting the fishers here ever since with infrastructure and a buy-back guarantee.
There are basically 3 methods of seaweed cultivation:
1. Raft
2. Monocline
3. Tubular
The different types of cultivation are done based on the location. As in the Pudukottai district, farmers opt for monocline. In Tuticorin, it's monocline, and in Ramnad, farmer, and raft method. As in reef areas, farmers will have grazing ( by fish) problems. So, they have completely opted for the raft.
Rafts happen to be the most common method used in Sambhai. Fishers make a bamboo frame with four logs and tie sealed onto them. The rafts are then floated into the sea in about 45 days, The grown seaweeds are harvested and replanted. While the fishing sector has been dominated by men, Seaweed farming here has helped empower a substantial community of women. Despite the making of the raft and tying it down in the sea, they don't hire laborers preferring to work independently as micro-entrepreneurs.
Firstly, fishers will check on the seaweed, If the seaweed has grown well, they will bring it to the band and divide it. If it's one raft, they won't get much income. So they will try to multiply one raft into 20, 20 rafts into 50 rafts, and so on only. They will be able to more profits and then will they be able to raise their standard of living.
Scientists have discovered more reasons to celebrate seaweed farming. So, internationally people are cultivating Kappapycus only for the carrageenan. Accidently they observed some white crystal blooming over the surface of that dry material and scientists observed it under a microscope and analyzed that was potassium ( 99% pure potassium). So, the only scientists who understand that Kappapycus is potassium-rich and will definitely promote farm agriculture productivity. Following the discovery, a few local Indian companies have gone on to adopt the technology developed by CSMCRI. These companies' seaweed extracts are now being used for the processing and simultaneous production of both biostimulants for farms as well as carrageenan for food industries. Beyond its commercial benefits, scientists have confirmed that seaweed is also the most effective way of carbon sequestration. This seaweed captures or uptakes nearly 90% of that Carbon dioxide and accumulates and dislikes carbon sink. The recent studies conducted in Indonesia seaweed cultivation in the one-hectare area observed 57 metric forms of carbon per year.
Planting trees and crops might require intervention in terms of fertilizer and water. Seaweed grows by up to two feet a day without much human involvement. More importantly, seaves did not compete with our land needs.
According to the FAO Report 2019, India's requirement for food products is 55% more production is required but we are using only five percent of receivables. India has been concerned about using less than 0.1% percent of that seaweed as food. Breakthrough will be coming in the forthcoming years when we are going to start using seaweed as a part of our food.
Over the last few years, nutrient-rich seaweed has in fact been fast gaining its status as a superfood the world over but these seaweeds have really been part of Asia cuisine for centuries, especially in countries like China, Japan, and Korea. India however has a major challenge to face before it can jump onto the seaweed superfood wagon. Tackling mass mortality of this marine species. In the month of August 2013, there was a sudden decline there was mass mortality of seaweeds. The reason for increased mortality during that period was climate change and seaweed virility. Farmers have been using the same seed material for more than 20 years, So seaweed virility was lost, as it is vegetative and not reproductive. The production from 2000 tonnes per year has come to 300 tonnes.
In countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, nobody does seaweed farming on the shores, they do it in 3-4 meters depth but India has not even begun to do it at that level. This has to happen only then will Indian seaweed cultivars be able to take output like in old times. In India the temperature doesn't rise all months, It only rises during the end of April, May, and June and even up to July. Farmers face an increase in atmospheric temperature. It will be helpful if the government creates a policy to allow farmers there to grow seaweed in the sea during these 4 months.
With further research and some political will, India's vast coastlines could soon be home to large-scale seaweed cultivations helping both the coastal communities and the environment at large.
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