Helping Scottish Kelp
We’re working to scale up seaweed farming in Scotland.
Project overview
WWF-UK are supporting Kelp Crofters, a local run start-up on the Isle of Skye.
Kelp Crofters are a regenerative seaweed farm cultivating rope grown Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) and Alaria esculenta (winged kelp) to be used in a wide range of different products.
Why we are doing it
We’re supporting the UK seaweed industry because seaweed farming has a number of beneficial environmental impacts. Seaweed reduces the impacts of pollution by absorbing excess nutrients in the water, and farms have been observed to support higher levels of biodiversity. WWF are running a study at multiple seaweed farms, including Kelp Crofters, to investigate whether greater biodiversity is supported by seaweed farms in the UK.
Also, seaweed derived products have a much smaller environmental impact than the commonly used products they replace. For example, we are running trials using seaweed biostimulant (a natural plant growth stimulant) to reduce the use of synthetic fertiliser. The biostimulant for this trial was derived from seaweed grown by Kelp Crofters.
By supporting the work of Kelp Crofters, we are looking to aid the scaling up of seaweed farming within the UK.
Project impact
We hope to support Kelp Crofters in being a pioneering farm in the early UK seaweed industry.
Through this project we aim to see;
- A certified seaweed biostimulant product that would be available for sale. This will help to grow demand for the seaweed industry in this country and could be used to reduce reliance on fertiliser while increasing crop resistance to extreme climate conditions such as drought.
- Increased engagement around the results of biostimulant trials, with Kelp Crofters attending farmers shows to share findings.
- Greater social awareness and acceptance of seaweed farming in the UK. We aim to do this by supporting Kelp Crofters to increase their communications and outreach.
