Sea Forest plans to lower livestock methane emissions with seaweed

Is a type of reddish seaweed the solution to pushing down methane emissions from Australian livestock? At least one company, Sea Forest, believes it may be.

Sea Forest is set to dramatically lift its production of eco-friendly Asparagopsis seaweed.

Is a type of reddish seaweed – the Asparagopsis – the solution to pushing down methane emissions from Australian livestock? At least one company, Sea Forest, believes it may be.

The early-stage start-up, which last raised $34m last year, has purchased a 30ha former abalone farm for the production of the seaweed feed supplement as it dramatically increases its production.

The company, led by chief executive Sam Elsom, has already attracted heavyweight backers in the form of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, businessman Peter Gunn’s PGA Investments and WWF-Australia president Rob Purves.

The acquisition comes with the addition of another $4m into the company’s development fund courtesy of federal government research grants. Part of that money will flow to Bovine Dynamics, which has partnered with Sea Forest and Stockyard Feedlot to trial the Asparagopsis at a large scale near Toowoomba, Queensland.

Another cut will go to the University of New England, which has engaged Australian Wool Innovation to trial the use of the seaweed on sheep. Other trials are continuing through Fonterra and the Australian Agricultural Company.

“The funding will be used for trials supporting the evidence base essential in paving the way for Australian farmers to access carbon credits from supplements like that produced by Sea Forest for methane abatement through the Emissions Reduction Fund,” Mr Elsom said on Wednesday.

“The acquisition of the Swansea [abalone farm] will provide the company with a significant boost to our production of the unique seaweed supplement, which is now becoming very popular with sheep and cattle producers across Australia and the rest of the world as they recognise the importance of cutting methane emissions.”

The world seaweed market is estimated to be worth $11bn and the Australian Seaweed Institute forecasts the Australian market will be worth $100m in 2025 and $1.5bn by 2040, Sea Forest says.

Originally published as Sea Forest plans to lower livestock methane emissions with seaweed