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Seaweed-based innovations for a resilient aquaculture and agriculture (SIRENA)

Ongoing

To ensure food and job security, food production systems need to be innovated so that they protect the environment, mitigate climate change and become more climate-resilient. This is an opportunity for seaweed culture which captures nutrients and CO2, and does not need freshwater or fertilizers. In Ecuador, edible seaweed is being produced by small farmers, but a sustainable biomass valorization strategy is lacking. Responsible innovations, which are made of Ecuadorian seaweed, increase the resilience of aquaculture/agriculture and are based on scientific research, need to be developed. Therefore, Ghent University, ESPOL, VVOB, Rikolto and Protos will share minds to: (1) start a seaweed laboratory with in vitro seaweed culture collection; (2) optimize seaweed culture together with a gender-balanced team of mariculture farmers; (3) develop seaweed-based products to control emerging diseases of shrimps and molluscs; and (4) identify other innovative seaweed applications for a resilient food production, aiming to grow into a demand-driven seaweed research road map and a new project proposal.

Intervention type

South Initiatives

Duration

01/01/2020 - 31/12/2021

This project is being implemented in:
Flemish promoter Peter Bossier
Local promoter Sofie Van Den Hende
Financial collaborator Caroline Van Geeteruyen
Local partner institution Universiteit Gent
visit www.ugent.be
Local partner institution Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral
Budget € 70.000