On September 27, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (“SDTC”) announced investments in six innovative Canadian companies working to shape a more sustainable economy, one of which was Cascadia Seaweed. 

“Companies have the ideas that will help solve some of our planet’s most pressing environmental problems, but they cannot do it alone. SDTC is proud to support innovative companies like Cascadia Seaweed on their journey towards commercializing their sustainable solution global markets want and need,” says Leah Lawrence, President, and CEO of SDTC. 

Cascadia Seaweed, based in Sidney, British Columbia, is the only vertically integrated seaweed company combining cultivation expertise, First Nations partnerships and progressive brand development. They are focused on cultivating climate-positive biomass in the ocean to produce products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more resilient food system.

With funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) granted earlier this year Cascadia embarked on a scientific process to identify the valuable compounds in seaweeds for cattle feed to improve animal health, increase feed conversion rates and reduce harmful methane emissions. Lab tests have concluded and the research has moved into the formulation and in-vivo phase. 

Now, through SDTC, Cascadia Seaweed has been awarded $4.3 million over 3 years towards a $12M project, to help with the site selection and construction of a 100-hectare aquaculture site and agrifeed processing facility, increasing Cascadia’s capacity which currently spans 26 hectares. The first phase of the project consists of seeded-line trials at a potential site near Prince Rupert, British Columbia and is expected to begin in the fall of 2022.

“At Cascadia Seaweed we cultivate seaweed on low-impact farms in the ocean providing ecosystem services such as carbon capture, oxygen production and habitat. Then we harvest that crop to produce climate-positive products for a more resilient food system. This agreement between Cascadia Seaweed and our First Nations partners with funding from SDTC will support the build of a 100-hectare ocean farm and an agrifeeds processing facility. It's sustainable aquaculture empowering regenerative agriculture, addressing Canada's net zero targets while creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity," explains Bill Collins, Chair of Cascadia Seaweed.

“We recognize these opportunities as a way to grow the business, as well as a way to contribute to the overall knowledge base of the industry, and have therefore prioritized internal resources to manage these applications,” describes Mike Williamson, CEO of Cascadia Seaweed. 

Cascadia’s goal of urgently addressing the need to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions has been vetted and supported by both AAFC and SDTC, paving the way for an agrifeed product launch in 2023.