By 2050, global food demand is expected to increase by 70%, equivalent to 5.4 billion tons per year. However, challenges such as land and water shortages, along with the impact of climate change, constrain the agricultural sector's ability to meet this demand. Seaweed farming is considered an environmentally friendly solution, absorbing CO2 faster than trees, with a short life cycle and high biomass yield.
Vietnam has significant potential for seaweed cultivation, with 88 economically valuable seaweed species and a potential area of approximately 900,000 hectares. Despite this, only around 16.5 thousand hectares are currently developed. Challenges include fragmented farming areas, limited scientific research, weak processing capacity, and the absence of an industry association.
To address these challenges and promote seaweed farming, Vietnam's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Minh Hoan, emphasizes the need to create a new value space for the industry. He suggests collaboration between the Fisheries Department and producers to develop the industry, establish a Seaweed Producers Association, and formulate a joint strategy to launch and revitalize the sector.
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Vietnam