Seaweed offers powerful opportunity to shape Australia’s future food systems through its unique combination of nutritional value, environmental resilience, and cultural relevance. This presentation explores how aquatic food systems, particularly seaweed, can be harnessed to improve nutrition, livelihoods and climate resilience, through locally relevant, sustainable innovation.
With over 10,000 species globally and 35 million tonnes produced annually, seaweed is rich in micronutrients, dietary fibre, and bioactive compounds. It requires no freshwater, arable land, or fertilisers, and contributes to climate mitigation through carbon absorption, methane reduction in livestock, and ecosystem restoration. This positions seaweed as a scalable, low-impact ingredient for future food systems.
Seaweed’s versatility spans direct consumption, functional foods, and bioproducts, with growing relevance for both traditional diets and modern food innovation. This presentation highlights its potential to diversify protein and micronutrient sources, support circular economies, and revitalise traditional food practices. Unlocking seaweed’s full impact requires multidisciplinary collaboration across nutrition, social and technical sciences, creative industries, youth engagement, and policy. Working across cultures and disciplines is not only beneficial but essential, demanding respectful partnerships, co-design, and shared leadership.
By embracing seaweed’s potential, we can build food systems that are healthier, more inclusive, and climate-smart, positioning seaweed as a frontier in nutrition innovation and technology.