The Global Impact of the Algae Industry

Before learning about our products, algae were probably not something you encountered daily. They may have only crossed your mind when you saw seaweed while walking down a shoreline or when ordering sushi at a Japanese restaurant. Algae aren’t encountered or thought about very often by most people living in North America. However, globally, algae play a major role.

The production of algae makes up around 30% of all global aquaculture production. Aquaculture includes the production of all sea life, including fish and shellfish. Most of the algae produced in the aquaculture industry is classified as macroalgae, better known as seaweed, which is a larger, multicellular type of seaweed.

Much of the seaweed being produced is used in cuisine. In countries like South Korea, Japan and China, seaweed is a staple ingredient used in many recipes. Because the demand for seaweed is so high, most of the seaweed used is farmed rather than harvested from nature.

Algae production is considered one of the more sustainable fields of farming. this is because algae farming does not require fresh water or fertilizer. Along with this, algae are the largest consumer of CO2 on the planet meaning that the production of it helps remove carbon from the atmosphere.

At Global Phytoplankton Alliance, we sell microalgae, better known as phytoplankton. This is a smaller, unicellular plant that is invisible to the naked eye.

Our phytoplankton is grown in a facility certified by Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP). This facility grows our phytoplankton in Cadiz, Spain, where it is shipped to our American warehouses to be packaged and distributed to customers.

Algae farming is a vital industry that makes a positive impact. Not only does the industry feed billions of people a year, but it is also more sustainably than most other food production industries and helps lower CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

With all of this in mind, maybe it’s time that we North Americans begin consuming more algae, whether it be by ordering sushi from your local Japanese restaurant or by taking our products at Global Phytoplankton Alliance, an algae supplement that aids your health and the environment.

Sources:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2021

Jones, Nicola. “Banking on the Seaweed Rush.” Hakai Magazine, March 14, 2023.

Voiland, Adam. “Green Harvest in South Korean Waters” Earth Observatory NASA, 2021.