Karen Scofield Seal: Scaling sustainable seaweed farming in the Western Hemisphere
Karen Scofield Seal on improving human and ocean health
This week, the TTI Interview Series covers our member Karen Scofield Seal. Karen Scofield Seal is the CEO and co-founder of OCEANIUM. Formed in 2018 with the mission to “Kelp the World”, they are committed and passionate about catalysing the nascent seaweed industry in the Western Hemisphere to ensure positive impact and profit throughout the value chain. Karen won the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Future Award 2023 and was selected as a semi-finalist in The Economist Group’s Women and the Ocean: Changemakers Challenge. OCEANIUM has won the World Economic Forum UpLInk Ocean Challenge.
Karen, tell us a little about your work and how it intersects with the impact space.
OCEANIUM develops and makes innovative, functional seaweed ingredients to catalyse the seaweed industry for both People Health and Ocean Health. Our ingredients replace resource-intensive and/or harmful ingredients.
OCEANIUM’s proprietary green processing technology extracts maximum value from the seaweed, producing high-purity bioactive ingredients for health and cosmetics - OCEAN ACTIVES® and food ingredients including a functional, superfood ingredient - OCEAN HEALTH NUTRA™. OCEANIUM’s range of innovative materials includes a fully biodegradable, seaweed and water-based ink – OCEAN INK® for packaging and textiles.
A primary motivation for starting OCEANIUM was to create job opportunities and agency for women in the developing world. However, sustainable seaweed farming offers broader benefits such as mitigating ocean eutrophication by absorbing nitrogen and phosphorous and enhancing biodiversity by protecting nursery grounds and seabeds. Unlike traditional agriculture, seaweed farms operate without needing cleared land, freshwater, insecticides, or fertilizers, thus supporting future food security.
OCEANIUM integrates into the impact space by supplying B2B companies with sustainably sourced, traceable ingredients to help them achieve SDG targets and meet consumer demand for sustainable and functional products. OCEANIUM measures and reports its impact against six of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and is working towards zero waste, plus targeting carbon neutrality by 2030, proving that technological solutions can contribute to a net zero economy.
emissions trajectory. With the global population predicted to reach 10 billion by 2050, feeding everyone will be a major challenge. The seaweed industry offers a promising solution, particularly in the Western Hemisphere. The World Bank estimates seaweed cultivation could increase the global food supply by 10% by 2050 with a 14% annual harvest increase. Sustainably farmed seaweed mitigates eutrophication by absorbing nitrogen and phosphorus, boosts biodiversity by providing nursery grounds, and protects seabeds. Unlike land-based agriculture, seaweed doesn't need cleared land, fresh water, insecticides, or fertilisers. By developing innovative, functional seaweed ingredients, OCEANIUM aims to provide an alternative to resource-intensive animal-based foods.
What do you think are some of the biggest challenges in the impact space, standing in the way of providing solutions faster?
Access to funding is a critical challenge. While there is significant and growing interest in the seaweed industry, it is an emerging industry in the West, so securing sufficient investment for scaling a new industry/supply chain is of course challenging. Fortunately, the EC, US Dept Of Energy, UK gov, Norway as well as knowledge impact investors such as WWF, Builders Vision, Katapult, and SOA see the value/opportunity and have been supporting start-ups.
Investors typically seek evidence of market viability and scalability, especially challenging during early-stage B2B development. Key stakeholders require assurance of operational capacity and the ability to meet demand at scale, highlighting the importance of having a robust commercial facility. Investors will need to invest in some Capex. Bill Gates reinforces the imperative of investing in hardware to effectively combat climate change.
Another challenge is the limited awareness and understanding of seaweed's potential and benefits among consumers, investors, and policymakers. Raising awareness about the environmental, social, and economic benefits of seaweed is crucial for gaining the support needed to scale operations and drive industry growth.
What is your own definition of impact?
To me, impact means creating significant, measurable, and sustainable positive change in society, the environment, and the economy. Meaningful impact should pave the way for long-term improvements by integrating social and environmental considerations into the core of business strategies and operations. Most importantly, the impact should be science-based and data-backed to ensure that the changes we implement are effective and sustainable.
What do you believe is one of the most important issues that need to be solved over the next 10 years?
Based on my experience, one of the most urgent issues to be addressed over the next decade is food security, especially as the global population continues to grow.
Traditional agricultural-based food systems, such as cattle and soy farming, drive deforestation and freshwater consumption. They require extensive feed, fertilisers, and pesticides, contributing significantly to GHG emissions. Increasing drought, soil erosion, and extreme weather expose millions to food insecurity - 30% and 50% of maize and bean growing areas in Africa respectively will go out of production on the current
Tell us more about the long-term vision you have for your work and how you measure & quantify your impact.
OCEANIUM’s long-term vision is driven by a commitment to become the world leader in the seaweed industry, driving systemic change, and achieving profound environmental and societal impact. We aim to significantly expand sustainable seaweed farming globally, leveraging our innovative and proprietary technology and partnerships with local seaweed farmers to support biodiversity, mitigate ocean eutrophication, support food security and provide economic opportunities in coastal communities.
We are dedicated to producing sustainable ingredients/products which replace resource-intensive/harmful products. We aim to establish zero-carbon facilities that set benchmarks within the industry and serve as models to be replicated worldwide.
OCEANIUM’s impact measurement methodology has been inspired by three key standards - The GRI’s Sector Standards on Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, The Ocean Impact Navigator and IRIS+. OCEANIUM has chosen to focus on 6 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to measure and quantify our impact:
Tell us more about the long-term vision you have for your work and how you measure & quantify your impact.
OCEANIUM’s long-term vision is driven by a commitment to become the world leader in the seaweed industry, driving systemic change, and achieving profound environmental and societal impact. We aim to significantly expand sustainable seaweed farming globally, leveraging our innovative and proprietary technology and partnerships with local seaweed farmers to support biodiversity, mitigate ocean eutrophication, support food security and provide economic opportunities in coastal communities.
We are dedicated to producing sustainable ingredients/products which replace resource-intensive/harmful products. We aim to establish zero-carbon facilities that set benchmarks within the industry and serve as models to be replicated worldwide.
OCEANIUM’s impact measurement methodology has been inspired by three key standards - The GRI’s Sector Standards on Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, The Ocean Impact Navigator and IRIS+. OCEANIUM has chosen to focus on 6 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to measure and quantify our impact: 2 – Zero Hunger, 5 – Gender Equality, 8 – Decent work and economic growth, 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure,12 – Responsible consumption and production, 14 – Life below water. OCEANIUM is working towards zero waste, plus targeting carbon neutrality by 2030, proving that technological solutions can contribute to a net zero economy.
What are some of the misconceptions you’ve noticed regarding what impact is all about?
I would like for key stakeholders/investors to look at impact holistically. The seaweed industry offers vast positive benefits that should be comprehensively measured and valued. Instead of narrowly focusing on metrics like carbon sequestration, we should consider a nuanced view that includes job creation, replacement of harmful ingredients, and supporting food security (you can’t use AI for food). It's also important to prioritise solutions that are available now and not 10 or 20 years down the line. OCEANIUM's solutions are proven, economically viable, and ready to be implemented today.
OCEANIUM is unlocking the sustainable seaweed farming industry in the Western Hemisphere. We’re creating jobs in rural coastal regions and throughout the value chain. Seaweed farming mitigates ocean eutrophication, protects/increases biodiversity, contributes to ocean health and provides a sustainable food source that supports future food security without the need for freshwater or cleared land. Our innovative ingredients replace resource-intensive products like animal-based foods and fossil fuel-based materials, contributing to a more sustainable future. By catalysing the seaweed industry, we aim to drive holistic environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Thank you to Ocean Rainforest for the banner image.
