Great seaweed session at the ChangeNOW Summit on April 1st in Paris ! For those who were not able to join, here’s a quick breakdown with direct links to each speaker’s segment.
Michel Mortier, Executive Director of our new host, Fondation CNRS, spoke about the Foundation’s commitment to supporting ambitious science-based initiatives such as the Global Seaweed Coalition. He announced that the GSC is now set to become a fully fledged foundation under aegis, marking a major leap forward in securing the future of the Coalition.
Yas Farjad from the French Ministry in charge of Fisheries and Aquaculture highlighted France’s leadership in advancing the global seaweed sector as co-chair of the UN Global Seaweed Initiative (UNGSI) alongside Madagascar, that the GSC has been supporting since its inception. The initiative will help align national and international efforts to integrate seaweed into climate & biodiversity policies and address production and trade challenges, positioning seaweed as a powerful solution for food security, environmental sustainability, and economic resilience.
Pierre-Yves Paslier, co-founder of Notpla and one of the Coalition’s earliest supporters, shared how the company is leveraging seaweed to tackle the challenge of single-use plastics by creating innovative seaweed-based packaging solutions, scaling their impact across stadiums, festivals, and even Ikea stores in the UK, already eliminating close to 40 million single-use plastics.
Xu Ben Zhang, Managing Director of the Kelp Forest Foundation, stressed the critical role of kelp ecosystems, from supporting biodiversity and improving water quality to their carbon sequestration potential. By collaborating with universities, policymakers, and local communities, the Kelp Forest Foundation is driving impactful initiatives to protect and restore these vital marine ecosystems.
Our very own scientific officer Mélanie Cueff showcased the GSC’s achievements in its 5 years of operation, starting with its portfolio of 32 funded seaweed projects across 27 countries, and our increasing leading role in raising seaweed’s profile in sustainability policy frameworks, illustrated by the launch of the UN Global Seaweed Initiative.
Thanks to our great speakers and to everyone who joined !
The session was moderated by our co-founder and senior seaweed ambassador Vincent Doumeizel, who emphasized how far the Coalition has come since its creation, now reaching 2000+ members worldwide and becoming one of the seaweed sector’s most prominent advocates on the global stage.
The Global Seaweed Coalition continues to welcome new members and partnerships as it works toward its vision of a thriving, safe and sustainable seaweed sector that benefits communities, economies and the environment. Join the Coalition now !