A study conducted by the University of Queensland showed that expanding global seaweed cultivation can help the world address food insecurity, biodiversity loss and the challenges of climate change. The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability found that expanding seaweed cultivation can help reduce demand for land crops and global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

"Seaweed has great commercial and environmental potential as a nutritious food and base for commercial products, including animal feed, plastics, fiber, diesel and ethanol," said Scott Spillias, lead author. The researchers mapped the crop potential of more than 34 commercially important algae species using the Global Biosphere Management Model.

They estimated the environmental benefits of a variety of scenarios based on changes in land use, greenhouse gas emissions, water and fertilizer use, and projected changes in the presence of species by 2050.

"In a scenario where we have replaced 10% of human diets globally with seaweed products, the development of 110 million hectares of land for agriculture could be avoided," Spillias said.

Those surveyed also identified millions of hectares of ocean available in unique global economic zones (EES), where agriculture could be developed. "Most of the appropriate ocean was in indonesia's EEC, where it is estimated that up to 114 million hectares are suitable for the cultivation of seaweed.

Australia also shows great potential and diversity of species, with at least 22 commercially viable species and about 75 million hectares of suitable ocean. According to the researcher, many native species of seaweed in Australian waters have not yet been studied from the point of view of commercial production.

"The way I like to look at it is to think of ancestral versions of everyday crops – like corn and wheat – that were uninspiring things and weeds," he said. "Through thousands of years of creation, we have developed the basic cultures that underpin modern societies and seaweed may well have similar potential in the future."

Professor Eve McDonald-Madden, a study collaborator at UQ, said the algae solution would have to be carried out carefully to avoid shifting problems from the land to the ocean. "Our study points out what could be done to address some of the growing global sustainability problems we face, but it cannot be implemented without extreme caution."

Source: Um só Planeta