Executive Summary:
Mangroves represent a unique ecosystem at the crossroads of four distinct life forms: aerobic, anaerobic (due to tides that vary water levels, exposure to air, or immersion in water), and saltwater and freshwater (due to the influx of freshwater from inland areas and the coast). Mangroves have been decimated like no other ecosystem to make way for coastal development. Often, mangroves have given way to shrimp farms. However, after the white spot virus eradicated the farms, it left behind only desolate plains. Following a series of pioneering experiments in Namibia, Tanzania, and Eritrea, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has accumulated experience and evidence that mangrove regeneration forms the basis of highly productive mariculture. This includes the production and processing of mangrove fruits, shrimp, fish, and algae, creating clusters of growth on land in desperate need. Adding to these results the arrival of sea rice, a natural biota discovered in China, one can then envision how the world's coastlines can withstand climate change and rising sea levels, and evolve toward a new, resilient economy.
Keywords: mangroves, algae, samphire, eucheuma, grouper, milkfish, climate change, sea level rise, parasitic species, goats, sea rice, integrated mariculture, white spot virus
Integrated agricultural systems: from permaculture to rock gardens
When I met Bill Mollison, the inspiration and creator of permaculture, in Tokyo in 1994, I discovered a man driven by a grand mission and possessing a pragmatic approach. He took to the stage of the United Nations University's main conference hall in slippers and presented a series of images demonstrating how to care for the earth and how food production could be based on simple and ingenious cycles of minerals and water. He showed how the exchanges between plants and animals and the flow of nutrients, energy, and matter made lands considered infertile productive, and how to increase production without relying on expensive inputs. He presented a balanced built, human, and natural environment, extending the concept to a fresh perspective on science, even a philosophy of art and life. Mr. Mollison launched permaculture in 1978 in Australia, in collaboration with David Holmgren, based on the original work of Joseph Russell Smith in his book "Tree Crops," published in 1929. This work was preceded by Franklin King's book "Farmers for Forty Centuries: Permaculture of China, Korea and Japan." Mr. Mollison debated his concepts extensively with Professor George Chan, a Mauritian sanitary engineer who served two years in the British Army during World War II, earned an engineering degree from Imperial College London, and worked for decades at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the South Pacific. Professor Chan not only worked for ZERI for 20 years, but he also developed a knack for transforming polluting wastewater into biogas and converting manure into soil amendment. These two mentors followed their own paths, and I learned a great deal from each of them. Permaculture was my first encounter with integrated agriculture. Then, through my work with the Picuris Pueblo outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, I learned about rock gardens (also known as waffle gardens, or gardens with many stones), another ingenious system that transforms arid uplands into productive areas. The Native American tribe had developed this agricultural system in the arid lands of New Mexico, which provided fruits and vegetables for 140,000 members before the arrival of the Spanish. They colonized the region long before the Americans arrived, imposing their agricultural techniques and disregarding the ingenious system of rock spirals that emerged after centuries of trial and error. As Mrs. Joey Sam and her husband Danny, the head of the bison herd and the tribal leaders, explained when I was allowed a glimpse of their protected and sacred land, the carefully selected rocks would be placed in a large, virtuous conical shape, fertilizing the land for the next 500 years. It was such a revelation, and quite easy to understand, that the sun, the summer heat, the winter snow and ice, the winds, and the lichens would slowly stimulate the release of trace elements into the soil. It was so ingenious right before my eyes. I later learned that this was one of the places that inspired Bill Mollison to conceive of permaculture.From rocky outcrops to the evolution towards other forms of life.
Not only did the rocks release minerals over time, but they also absorbed heat during the day and released it at night, thus extending the growing season in an area prone to cold nights. Water flowed from top to bottom, carrying, releasing, and absorbing minerals along the way. Then, it depended solely on the different types of rocks where different types of vegetables were grown, tailoring the mineral content to the specific needs of each plant species. I was amazed by this ingenious approach to agriculture and could easily imagine the profound inspiration Bill Mollison must have received when he observed, three decades earlier, what I had just learned. When I brought hundreds of people from out of state and country to New Mexico through Robert Haspel and Lynda Taylor, the founders of the SCI/ZERI Foundation, who funded the reintroduction of the bison herd to Picuris Pueblo, we observed that the Picuris had successfully integrated plants, animals, and minerals. We began a dialogue to introduce bacteria and fungi and augment the cascade of nutrients, energy, and matter through what we call "The Five Kingdoms of Nature," inspired by the work of Lynn Margulis. Ivanka Milenkovic joined the Picuris from Serbia, George Chan from Mauritius, and Antonio Giraldo from Colombia with the goal of generating more value from the existing systems approach. Ivanka shared how to cultivate fungi on fibers from rock gardening, George demonstrated the digester, and Antonio helped convert invasive species into charcoal and dried wood for furniture and home accessories. This was one of the first experiences that allowed me to see how we can build upon culture and tradition, how the wisdom of indigenous tribes has the capacity to meet basic needs, and how a few new scientific ideas could boost the system's productivity beyond what was already a remarkable achievement. In 1996, Anthony Rodale invited me to the Rodale Institute farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, to discuss the results of the integrated agriculture we were developing at Montfort Boys Town, Fiji, and how we planned to publish them to make them widely available. The Rodale Institute has been committed to promoting organic agriculture since 1947, and my position was that organic agriculture only tells you what isn't in the food. We need to know what is in it, and we need to know how biodiversity-based ecosystems could produce more than monocultures with GMOs could ever imagine. It seems that our concepts of integrated agriculture with the five kingdoms of nature and our commitment to zero waste and zero emissions were a step too far for these pioneers of organic farming. However, these contacts were not in vain. Thanks to an introduction by Rodale and the work of Joanie Klar Bruce, a founding member of the International Bamboo Foundation in Ubud, Bali (Indonesia), I met Jerome Ostenkowski, one of the founders of permaculture in the United States, who has been teaching permaculture since 1987 in the Central Rocky Mountains. We shared the logic of rock gardens and our latest discoveries. Jerome lived at an altitude of 2,300 meters, and his land was characterized by a basaltic rock, which gave its name to the town. It is one of the richest sources of magnesium. Attempting to cultivate crops on rocks at that altitude would be considered madness from the perspective of traditional agriculture, dominated by scientists who live in regions of the world with four seasons and are accustomed to an abundance of rich topsoil, but it was a challenge Jerome gladly accepted. Thirty years after beginning his adventure in the Rockies, and inspired by Bill Mollison, Jerome incorporated our proposals for microalgae and lichens into his equation and even began cultivating mushrooms, thus ensuring food and nutritional self-sufficiency where the world believed there was no way to survive. Jerome's greenhouse even produced bananas, a feat later emulated by Mr. Amory Lovins, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, further north in the valley.There is no poor soil and there is no bad water.
Paolo Lugari, who created Las Gaviotas and regenerated the rainforest in the savanna, once remarked that there are no poor or rich soils, only poor minds—people who cannot see opportunities because their training and experience have forced them to view reality with a very specific mentality. Anything that doesn't fit their existing knowledge or experience is considered poor and is subject to attempts to convert it to what is the market standard. Jerome is another example of this logic. We must observe reality as it is, take stock of local resources, and imagine how to create a cascade of nutrients, matter, and energy that allows it to function. To demonstrate my point, I took students on a trip to the Namib Desert. In 1998, we went to Swakopmund and Heintiesbay. Standing on the beach, with the sandy hills and vast desert behind us and the cold sea water before us, we posed a difficult question to the students: Could you grow fruits and vegetables here? Most of the students felt frustrated, because even in their wildest dreams, they couldn't imagine growing anything in the desert. Although we had all been exposed to permaculture and rock gardens, most of the team members were eager to explain to me why it wasn't possible. The most important shift in our approach to the challenges of this world is not dismissing opportunities because we think they are impossible. The very fact that we think they are impossible is the reason they are impossible. This is why the blue economy is close to the logic of the positive economy proposed by Jacques Attali, the French policymaker and author. Instead of trying to explain why it's not possible, why not focus on this extraordinary effort to explain—first and foremost to ourselves—that there are ways to make it possible? The sandy beaches of Heinties Bay now benefit from a specialized research center established by Professor Osmund Mwandemele, currently Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia and, at the time, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources. We have demonstrated that growing asparagus in sand is not only viable but even competitive with the imported foods that dominate the Namibian market, which is convinced there is no chance of growing them.Studying the interface between the sea and the land
The experiment conducted in Namibia was the first to study the interface between sea and land. This was made possible thanks to the excellent academic support of the University of Namibia, an institution that had to reinvent itself after the country's independence, transforming a white-dominated learning system into one that reflected the realities of society. Peter Katjavivi, the Vice-Chancellor, played a crucial role in ensuring that this new approach received support not only from the academic community but also from Sam Nujoma, Namibia's founding president and the university's chancellor. Our numerous meetings and trips—the president attended the 3rd World Zero Emissions Congress in Indonesia as a state guest of the Indonesian president—and we hosted the 4th World Zero Emissions Congress in Windhoek, Namibia, which culminated in the inauguration of the Tunweni Brewery, where we drank our first coffee made with water boiled by biogas from the brewery's waste digester. The Namibian experience was institutionalized within the academic community. The academic content was so rich and innovative that Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Director-General of UNESCO and a member of the Club of Rome, offered to fund the first and only UNESCO Chair on Zero Emissions at the University of Namibia. The Japanese government immediately offered to fund this chair, which was held by Professor Keto Mshigeni, then Vice-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of ZERI. This United Nations agency provided funding for teaching about zero emissions and financed a research team to document and publish the results, catapulting this newly converted university to the forefront of original research in Africa, which was then peer-reviewed. Because university rankings are heavily influenced by publications, we have succeeded in ensuring that our work worldwide benefits young graduates who have not studied agriculture and ecosystems as perceived by those living in a world characterized by four seasons, but rather through an understanding of the opportunities offered by each ecosystem. The University of Namibia has quickly risen to the forefront of publishers of original academic content.How does a colony of seals feed itself?
One of these explorations focused on the integrated biosystem of seal colonies. On the outskirts of Heintiesbay lies a thriving seal colony of 70,000 individuals. Locals avoid the area at all costs because of its foul odor. However, the smell not only keeps humans away, but also provides a unique and productive ecosystem where the excrement of baby seals, nourished by high-quality seal milk, stimulates the prolific growth of microalgae that double in size every 24 hours, ensuring that both mother and pup have access to an abundant supply of trace element-rich nutrients, crucial at this stage of life. As the pups grow, and their excrement increases, more microalgae are produced and flourish thanks to the rich nutrient flow. It was a firsthand lesson in integrated marine agriculture involving animals, algae, and seaweed. Seaweed has been harvested in Namibia since the 1950s, but it wasn't until 1975 that it was organized as a commercial activity, and only in 1981 did local entrepreneurs begin cultivating it. I got to know Klauss Rottman, the founder of Taurus Chemicals, who had established an integrated seaweed farming system in Luderitz, on Namibia's southwestern coast. His company cultivated, harvested, and processed Gracilaria verrucosa into raw material for agar and sushi topping; Ecklonia maxima (giant brown kelp) for the production of alginates, an excellent moisture-regulating agent in agriculture, as abalone feed, and as a raw material for fertilizers; Gelidium pristoides for the production of bacteriological agar; and Laminaria pallida kelp for the extraction of medicinal products. It was this small biochemical company in Namibia, whose farming and harvesting take place along the cold-influenced coast of the Benguela Curren and whose trading units extend from Namibia to Saldannah Bay in the Western Cape province of South Africa, that introduced me to the rich portfolio of chemicals that can be derived from algae.Seaweed farming in Zanzibar: part one
Professor Keto Mshigeni, then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Namibia, a Tanzanian national who earned his doctorate in marine biology from the University of Hawaii and became an expert in seaweed through a postdoctoral degree from the University of the Philippines, introduced me to the cultivation of seaweed (Euceuma sp.) and took me to see his large-scale project on the islands of Zanzibar, Mafia, and Pemba. I traveled with him to the Indian Ocean side of Zanzibar in 1995 and visited half a dozen villages. It was remarkable to see how the women endured wading through the sea to harvest their seaweed, or bending down to tie small strands of seaweed onto strings that would absorb nutrients from the sea. However, this process can only work if the coastal area is protected from the onslaught of the tides by coral reefs. This was yet another unique opportunity to see how an integrated approach not only regenerated coral reefs but also protected them from dynamite fishing, a prerequisite for generating income that, at its peak, provided livelihoods for 23,000 women. Thanks to this pioneering work, seaweed farming in Zanzibar became the world's third-largest supplier, after the Philippines and Indonesia. Farmers were simply cultivating, drying, and baling their harvest, and I began discussions with Dr. Yadon Kohi, Director General of COSTECH, the Tanzanian Commission for Science and Technology, to identify opportunities to create more added value and jobs, similar to the work of Taurus in Namibia, which operated on a much smaller scale. Then climate change began to make its effects felt. In 2014, rising sea temperatures halved Zanzibar's seaweed production compared to its peak, creating a major social challenge. Farmers on the neighboring island of Pemba quickly sought deeper areas, supplied by cooler upwelling waters. This requires women to swim occasionally. The good news is that Pemba has been able to maintain its production thanks to this shift in farming practices and now accounts for 80% of the region's output. Because the women of Zanzibar have never learned to swim, they now face a difficult choice: lose their livelihoods or learn to swim.The shrimp crisis in Ecuador: the second part
Ms. Lourdes Luque de Jaramillo, Ecuador's Minister of the Environment, invited me to Quito for the ministerial meeting of the ten nations with mega-biodiversity to discuss opportunities related to available natural resources. Her interest stemmed from my book, published in Colombia in 1998, "Estrategias para la Diversificación en base de la Biodiversidad" – "Strategies for Diversification Based on Biodiversity," published in cooperation with the Colombian National Agency for Training and Employment (SENA). On the sidelines of this ministerial meeting, she organized a series of discussions with industry representatives. The shrimp sector had been hit by an outbreak of White Spot Disease Virus (WSSV), an epizootic disease. A US$750 million export industry vanished in a matter of months. The massive use of disinfectants and the extensive application of antibiotics proved ineffective in controlling the virus. Worse still, their use had been banned by the European Union. After studying the case by visiting the sites, I concluded that the true cause of this epidemic's proliferation was the destruction of the mangrove ecosystem combined with the degeneration of the shrimp's immune system due to a misguided pursuit of productivity and efficiency that forces the shrimp to feed on animal protein, soy, and corn. Up to 40% of the body mass of locally processed shrimp ends up as food for those same shrimp. Shrimp are omnivorous at best, and rarely carnivorous or cannibalistic. When shrimp are forced to eat their own waste and are fed soy completely unsuitable for their digestive system, it is not surprising that they degenerate. The industry consulted scientists who proposed crossbreeding, or even genetically modifying, the shrimp to make them resistant to MSSV. Others suggested applying ultraviolet rays on a large scale to sterilize the environment. In 2002, I proposed that shrimp farming should not be allowed to continue on the vacant land left after mangrove removal, but should instead be planned in conjunction with mangrove planting. The shift towards monocultures and industrialization has not only reduced tree cover on land, but destructive fishing techniques using dynamite and acids have decimated coral reefs. While both of these forms of destruction are well documented, mangrove removal received little attention at the beginning of the 21st century. However, the pressure to destroy this unique interface between salt and fresh water, and between aerobic and anaerobic environments, has led to the removal of millions of kilometers of mangrove forests along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. The combined disintegration of the sea (corals) and the land interface (mangroves) must be reversed to restore shrimp farming. The role of mangroves was debated when the tsunami of December 26, 2004, devastated the Indian Ocean coastline. Experts agreed that the removal of mangroves to make way for luxury beachfront hotels and shrimp farms had eliminated the natural buffer that had always protected the inland areas from the onslaught of this massive wall of water, which, with its enormous weight of one ton per cubic meter of water, leaves nothing standing. Mangroves were finally recognized for their ecosystem services. And while the role of mangroves was acknowledged in the aftermath of the disaster, mangrove restoration was never part of the reconstruction plan and was not discussed as a means of developing sustainable shrimp farming. It is sometimes surprising how slowly humanity learns its lessons. Integrated shrimp farming and mangroves was a visionary statement in 2002 and was summarized in my article "The Shrimp Cluster" on the ZERI website. The focus was on how to generate multiple benefits and ensure that the ecosystem creates ideal conditions for shrimp farming. Given that the most significant cost in shrimp farming (and most types of farming) is feed, which is typically imported to the consumption area, it's easy to see that shrimp larvae depend on the plankton, microalgae, and soft algae that thrive in mangrove forests. Adult shrimp feed on the bottom and are particularly fond of worms, the blood shrimp, which, again, are abundant in and around mangroves.Eritrea's pioneering experience
It was the pioneering work of Professor Carl Hodges, founder of the Seawater Foundation in the United States, that sparked further research into the possibilities of mangrove regeneration. While Carl Hodges and his wife Elizabeth envisioned the grand project of channeling seawater into the desert to create samphire farms and mangroves to regenerate the ecosystem, it was the practical approach to generating income and jobs that captured my attention. Professor Carl-Göran Hedén of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences introduced me to Mr. Hodges' work. I also appreciated the leadership of Professor Eduardo Blumwald of the University of Toronto, who had developed tomato and canola plants that grow in brackish water (one-third the salinity of seawater) with normal fruit and seed yields. When I learned that the University of Toronto Innovations Foundation had licensed this technology portfolio to Seaphire International, a Carl Hodges partner in Eritrea, I decided to investigate further. I was surprised to discover that Seaphire International was controlled by Exeter Life Sciences, a specialist in animal cloning technologies that later merged with other genetic engineering experts. However, confident in the integrity of Carl Hodges and his team, including his Swedish financier Christer Salén, founder of the Seawater Forests initiative in the Netherlands, I gave the project the benefit of the doubt. The project implemented in Massawa, Eritrea, set a new standard for me in mariculture. A canal created a saltwater river connecting the inland areas for shrimp farming, nourishing thousands of mangroves and irrigating field crops like samphire. Water percolates through the sand and returns to the sea. The coastal desert is turning green thanks to a new mangrove forest that, over time, absorbs millions of tons of CO2 in its roots. This broad green belt reduces the temperature and increases the likelihood of rain, improving living conditions while mitigating the impact of climate change. This joint venture with the Eritrean government provided an important learning platform and represented the first exercise in integrated mariculture with remarkable results. Pruning the mangrove trees stimulated the roots to grow faster, fixing more carbon and creating more resilient plants, while the leaves were used as fodder for goats and camels, known to eat any shrub and contribute to desertification. Thanks to the research of Dr. James O'Leary and his team at the University of Arizona in Tucson, samphire has attracted the attention of innovators like Carl Hodges. The seeds of samphire, a salt-tolerant plant native to Mexico, contain 30% oil, far exceeding the 20% produced by soybeans, while also containing over 70% linoleic acid, used in paints, surfactants, and cosmetics. Because samphire accumulates salt in its tissues, it can be used to remediate soils affected by high salinity, salt intrusion, or rising sea levels. Furthermore, after oil extraction, it provides excellent feed for shrimp and goats, leaving behind pure salt.Lessons learned from the mangrove-shrimp cluster
Unfortunately, the pioneering work in Eritrea did not extend beyond the initial, well-documented project. I was saddened to see this effort disintegrate due to government internal politics in 2003. On the other hand, I am grateful to have witnessed that mangrove regeneration was viable and proved to be a prerequisite for (re)establishing a shrimp farming industry. Furthermore, the logic of the mangrove-shrimp cluster was reinforced by a clear objective of generating local feed for shrimp and supporting local goat and camel farming. At its peak in Eritrea, this endeavor created 800 jobs, fostered local economic development and livelihoods, while also demonstrating the capacity to reverse desertification along the North African coast. Carl Hodges was deeply disappointed, but a man of his stature never despairs and is now working under the auspices of the Global Seawater Foundation to revive his concept in Bahia Kino, Sonora, Mexico. His team includes Tekie Teclemariam Anday, the Eritrean marine biologist who worked with him in Africa. While Carl Hodges and his team continue to make progress in implementing the Mexican project, on the other side of the globe, in Java, Indonesia, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries decided in 2007 to undertake a major initiative to provide livelihoods for people living along the coastline of the 17,000 inhabited islands of this nation of 250 million people, by rethinking how to replant mangroves and revive shrimp farming, which had suffered the same WSSV as Ecuador and Thailand. Mr. Sarwono Kusumaadmadja was the first minister of this ministry, which was created to serve Indonesia's important marine resources. Mr. Sarwono had previously served as Minister of the Environment and hosted the 3rd World Zero Emissions Congress in Jakarta in 1997. It was during this congress that we discussed the need to regenerate forests, particularly mangroves and bamboo, and highlighted the potential for converting coastal areas into centers of local economic development. Paolo Lugari attended this event and testified to the importance of local economic growth based on forest regeneration.Indonesia is leading the way in integrated mariculture
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries allocated 47 hectares of land for trials to study the feasibility of implementing integrated mariculture, combining mangroves, fish, crabs, and algae, in 24 different contexts. Dr. Suseno Sukoyono, Director of the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Human Resource Development Agency, which comprises more than 20 academic institutions, was responsible for the project. Mr. Sharif Sutardjo, the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, decided to further support this pioneering work. The study was conducted by Sidoarjo Polytechnic in Surabaya, East Java Province. This led to the establishment in 2007 of the Sidoarjo Marine and Fisheries Polytechnic's Mangrove Research Center in Pulokerto Village, Pasuruan Regency, East Java Province. Dr. Bambang Suprakto and Dr. Endang Suhaedy, an engineer by training, took charge of designing a program to convert the defunct shrimp pond farming into an integrated mangrove-based agricultural system. This is yet another example of how innovative business models grounded in new scientific knowledge can transform abandoned assets into generators of value and employment. Dr. H. Soekarwo, Governor of East Java, fully supports the initiative and has declared his province the birthplace of the seaweed economy, while the newly elected President has, for the first time, recognized Indonesia as a maritime nation with a maritime economy. The Polytechnic team planted over 100,000 mangrove trees as part of a pilot project on former ponds that were abandoned after the WSSV attack, leaving farmers without recourse. Based on a commitment to begin by regenerating a local mangrove forest, the team designed ponds where 40–50% of the space is reserved for Rhizophora sp. and Avicennia sp. mangroves, and the remaining 50–60% is used for shrimp farming, such as Penaeus monodon, also known as the tiger prawn. The ponds benefit from tidal water flow. The Penang River, which suffers from significant pollution, is protected by a dense, newly established mangrove forest. The efficiency of the mangrove-integrated shrimp farming with Rhizophora has reached the highest levels, surpassing ponds without mangroves in investment costs, operating expenses, and profit margins. The shrimp's predominant diet is free-range, provided by the ecosystem, with only a minor portion supplemented for fish and crabs. The mangrove acts as a biofilter and is a rich reservoir of antioxidants. This ecosystem presents a low risk of disease, while its size makes it ideal for small coastal farmers. Algae reduce inorganic waste, and fish control micro- and macroalgae, while bottom-dwelling organisms like sea cucumbers reduce organic waste and eutrophication, thus decreasing the need for pond oxygenation. Researchers have noted that managing this mangrove-dominated ecosystem quickly yields additional benefits beyond mangroves and shrimp. Soft-shell crabs readily populate the area, while algae (Gracilaria sp.) play their part in pond management. Fish, including the highly sought-after milkfish with its high omega-3 content, can be raised in the same system, as can sea cucumbers, which are in high demand in China. Mangrove fruits are highly valued by the local population and represent another element contributing to the emergence of a new local economy. What the Indonesian team has accomplished in six years deserves not only our appreciation but also our admiration. No other center has designed and implemented such a diverse mariculture system focused on mangrove regeneration.From integrated mariculture to marine algae-based biorefineries
It is also clear to everyone that this is just the beginning of a rewarding scientific experiment, leading to a transformation of the local economy with proven experience in engaging the local population, who had lost all faith in shrimp farming and perhaps didn't even remember mangroves. The interesting development is that, while the government pursues integrated mariculture on a scale and with a diverse range of content unique in the world, the seaweed industry is emerging in parallel, following the biorefinery philosophy. Java Biocolloids processes algae (Gracilaria sp.) located in Pandaan, Pasuruan, a 30-minute drive from the mangrove research center. Mr. Lino Paravano, a biochemist who began his career in Venice trying to control microalgae in the lagoon, is transforming this profitable business into an engine of local economic growth, making a special effort to ensure that farmers and their children have a future in the land and the sea. Extracting agar-agar from seaweed is an energy- and water-intensive process, but with seaweed production reaching 6 million tons in Indonesia and local production not meeting demand, further industrialization is possible. Java Biocolloid currently processes 20 tons of seaweed per day and is preparing to increase its production to 80 tons. While the commercial product agar-agar represents only 7-8% of the raw material, the remainder is an ideal blend that can be converted into multiple valuable products. Biomass represents one opportunity, and water is another. One kilogram of agar-agar requires 600 liters of water, highlighting the urgent need to design a nutrient-water cascade to generate more value. Initially, the company envisioned compost production; it is now moving towards animal feed production. Indonesia is a major importer of animal feed, despite having agribusinesses and rich biodiversity in a country blessed with abundant sunshine. The country possesses all the necessary ingredients to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency in animal feed. It is, in fact, surprising that soy and corn have displaced other feeds from the market. As Professor Jorge Vieira Costa emphasized during his visit to Java Biocolloids, the processing of seaweed offers a unique opportunity to improve the quality of animal feed.A new generation of mariculture: More products and more jobs
We are witnessing the development of a new generation of mariculture that takes Carl Hodges' pioneering experiments to the next level, with a wide variety of applications and a flexible product portfolio that addresses the critical needs of maritime countries like Indonesia. First and foremost, there is a need to build resilience against the harsh Pacific climate, including tsunamis. Human-induced climate change also requires coastal villages to adapt to rising sea levels and increasing salinity. Integrated mangrove-based mariculture is therefore highly relevant, even essential, for ensuring food security. However, many economies have become heavily reliant on importing frozen fish and chicken to meet basic needs at a perceived low cost, forgetting that food imports drain cash from the local economy and create a poverty trap. The strategy of producing food locally and importing animal feed hasn't made much difference, as economies of scale and the cost of animal feed often make local production too expensive. Those who profit are the animal feed suppliers and equipment sales representatives. It seems nothing has changed since the gold rush. Mangrove-based mariculture generates multiple cash flows, starting with the mangroves themselves, which produce fruit that is processed locally. Then, the mangroves produce an astonishing array of color pigments, which are even transformed into one of the most prized batik garments, a two-year process that serves as a powerful reminder of the extraordinary textile industry that once thrived in this region. The dyeing technique requires 20 washes combined with natural color fixing, demonstrating that mangrove-based dyes are not just surviving; thanks to this integrated approach, they are making a strong comeback. As has been demonstrated elsewhere, mangroves are the most productive ecosystem for honey once parasitic plants can supplement the mangroves with long-blooming flowers, making the hives in this environment some of the most productive in the world. However, fish production is a remarkable subsystem in terms of efficiency and value generation. The choice of the milkfish (Chanos chanos), the national fish of the Philippines (known as bangús), which feeds on algae and invertebrates, was a wise one to combine with mangrove shrimp farming. The ikan bandeng, as milkfish is commonly called in Indonesia, is a very bony fish that was already being farmed 800 years ago. However, its popularity depends on the removal of its 214 bones. If the bones are not removed, the fish ends up as cat food. The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has undertaken to train workers to remove all the bones, tripling the value of this omega-3-rich fish. The bones are not wasted; this calcium-rich concentrate is transformed into halal-certified food, compliant with Islamic standards. Based on the original work of the Visayas Institute of Fish Processing Technology at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Studies of the University of the Philippines Miag-ao, in Oloilo City, in cooperation with the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development, then headed by its executive director, Mr. Graciano Yumul Jr., the Mangrove in Java initiative has grown and created products as diverse as calcium-rich spaghetti, fish skin crisps, and ingredients for shrimp feed. The threefold increase in value from deboning is now a fivefold increase thanks to the added value generated by the bones and skin, thus providing high-quality, locally sourced food. While soft-shell crabs are successfully farmed and sold fresh in the local market, where they are considered a delicacy by the Chinese population, seaweed has emerged as another growth subset. The strength of Java Biocolloid's initiative, which states on its website that "blue is the new green," lies in its active pursuit of cooperation with other value-seeking producers of waste streams. First and foremost, Java Biocolloid ensures that its massive water consumption is not a single exploitation, but rather a cascading effect. The extraction of agar-agar leaves a rich mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the wastewater, which is then channeled to local rice farmers. This allows them to reduce their fertilizer use by 60%, thereby lowering the cost of water pumping and chemical inputs, while also easing the burden on the industrial wastewater treatment plant.An endless value chain
Seaweed producers who have established themselves as reliable suppliers receive a cleaning tunnel from Java Biocolloids. Since seaweed farming takes place in shallow coastal areas, it carries with it sand, benthic organisms, and shells. By investing in saltwater washing units at the seaweed harvesting site, the amount of sand is halved, reducing transportation costs and increasing the value generated by the seaweed. The plant still separates small gastropod shells at a rate of two tons per day. Shells have been collected and valued as a commodity, but they are produced from pure calcium carbonate (calcite, aragonite, and vaterite), and varieties like nacre (mother of pearl), which are made from a mixture of aragonite and certain elastic biopolymers such as chitin, are easily converted into additional value chains. Because Java Biocolloids uses only natural processes, CaCO3 can be transformed on-site into pharmaceutical-grade calcium concentrates (with 40% pure calcium) for the production of tablets and chewing gum. Since this source is produced through a natural cycle and is neither extracted nor synthetically produced, it is highly valued for the production of toothpaste, body lotion, soap bars, and colored cosmetics. These shells are excellent raw materials for adding calcium and the highly sought-after white pigment (known as E170) at a premium price. As a blue economy company, Java Biocolloids is ready to invest in developing these additional value chains, which are (still) primarily imported but could be produced competitively since their arrival at the factory is free. It is easy to be competitive in the local market by replacing imports with a raw material that costs nothing to obtain. Thus, we find another opportunity to revitalize local industries related to mariculture. Gracilaria waste contains the mineral iodine that the body needs to produce thyroid hormones, which control the body's metabolism. The introduction of more processed foods and the reduction in seafood consumption deprive many communities of the necessary daily iodine intake. Iodine deficiency is considered a disorder because it affects children's health, particularly brain development. The world has taken notice, and the World Health Organization encourages the consumption of iodized salt. As early as 1997, I wrote an article stating that the export of subsidized iodized salt from Europe to Africa and Asia is an anachronism. Iodized foods should be produced locally as part of the seaweed processing process. I had proposed this in vain to the seaweed farmers of Zanzibar, who preferred to accept iodized salt sold cheaply thanks to European Union subsidies. I wondered what became of development cooperation when, instead of paying Europeans to add synthetic iodine to salt, European aid agencies couldn't invest in facilities that process food and animal feed in an integrated way so that iodine would be part of the cycle. I must admit that the European lobbying groups addicted to these annual cash injections have prevailed until now. The solid waste stream from Java Biocolloids, which accounts for 92 to 93% of production, contains 15 to 25 ppm of iodine, which is equivalent to the concentration of iodine in iodized salt. This means that if waste streams are destined to enter the human and animal food cycle, the derived industries will contribute directly to improved health, particularly in the Indonesian highlands where iodine is often lacking in the daily diet. The first and most obvious use of waste is to compost it. While this is done successfully, it makes more sense, from a social and economic perspective, to ensure the recycling of fiber, amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, and a rich variety of elements, including calcium (Ca), potassium (K), sodium (Na), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn). While some argue that there is potential to generate biofuels from fatty acids, we consider this the least desirable. After all, we don't want to burn what could be transformed into food! However, residual waste can still be digested anaerobically, which allows for the creation of biogas. The combination of the mangrove and algae clusters provides a solid backbone for local economic development. If this can be further enhanced by additional readily available biomass streams in the region, we can improve nutrient cycling even more. Just beyond the mangroves lie the rice paddies. Rice production generates several waste streams, but rice bran, in particular, is rich in antioxidants. A survey conducted by Java Biocolloids also revealed the local availability of yeast. As highlighted in the previous case study, yeast contains a wealth of proteins very similar to animal proteins, while also providing vitamin B, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. The opportunity to create an animal feed stream based on algae, rice and yeast, all three abundant in the region, can quickly generate a 100-ton-per-day animal feed business, producing over 36,000 tons per year by replacing imported soy and corn that can never compete with the nutritional richness that can be generated by this mixture.The next frontier: the fight against climate change
The initiatives undertaken by the government and the private sector in Indonesia now have a third component: how to address rising sea levels and the 1.2 million hectares of coastal plains at risk of succumbing to the salinity and alkalinity of the shoreline. When I traveled along the coast of Java (Indonesia) for the 9th World Congress on Zero Emissions and the Blue Economy, organized by the Indonesian Blue Economy Foundation, established by Ibu Dewi Smaragdina and chaired by Ibu Sriworo Harijono in Jakarta, it became clear that Indonesia must embrace marine rice cultivation or face the challenges of climate change like the women of Zanzibar. Professor Li Kangmin, a member of the ZERI network of scientists since its inception in 1994 and a student of Professor George Chan, has written extensively on integrated aquaculture. His articles "Extending Integrated Aquaculture to Mariculture in China – New Trends in Fish Farming" and "New Ideas and Approaches to Sustainable Seafood Products" summarize both his experience and his vision. Professor Li Kangmin informed us of a major breakthrough in China. Mr. Chen Risheng, a graduate of Zhanjiang Agricultural College (Guangdong), studied with his professor, Professor Luo Wenlie, and nearly thirty years ago discovered a wild flowering plant resembling rice. In 1987, Chen Risheng began testing this sea rice, and 28 years later, its cultivated area had expanded to 133 hectares. He established the International Sea-Rice Biotechnology Company Ltd. with a research staff of 80 people in Beijing. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has extended the trials to alkaline-saline soils in Lingshui, Hainan; Zhanjiang, Guangdong; and Panjin, Liaoning. These trials demonstrated that rice can grow in soil with a pH of 9.3, where no trees can grow. Sea rice can withstand water saturation and has no problem being submerged for three to four hours at high tide in ordinary seawater. Because sea rice does not require fresh water, it saves approximately 1,000 m³ of fresh water per ton of rice without the need for fertilizers. China has about 100 million hectares of saline and alkaline soils. Indonesia has about 150 million hectares along its coastlines, which are the longest in the world. If both nations were able to cultivate rice on saline land with a yield of 2,250 kg/ha, an additional production of 225 million tons could be expected in China and 337 million tons in Indonesia. The conclusion of this productivity breakthrough is that China and Indonesia can feed themselves. However, if we add the clusters described here—mushroom cultivation on rice straw and the conversion of the substrate into animal feed after the mushroom harvest—we realize that this world is ready to create abundance where the majority sees scarcity. We see millions of new jobs where others worry about terrorism and extremism due to high youth unemployment, for which the traditional economic model of globalization sees no solution based on all statistical analyses. This is why we refuse to look at the statistics and accept them as reality. We know we must create a new reality.Investments and jobs
Investments in research, education, and new industrial facilities over these years have accumulated to a total of approximately US$220 million. These facilities have benefited from in-kind contributions from governments, as well as unaccounted research and education budgets, such as the one guaranteed by the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. The investments in seaweed farming, mangrove restoration, and shrimp farming in which we have participated and which we have witnessed for nearly two decades, notably in Tanzania, Ethiopia, China, and Indonesia through other partners, represent only a fraction of the total global investment. Yet, what our network and local organizations have been involved in still represents a considerable budget. The number of jobs created in agriculture is high, peaking at 23,000 in Zanzibar alone. Employment at one seaweed processing plant reaches 800 people while operating at only a quarter of its capacity. We therefore estimate the number of direct jobs at 42,000. This new mariculture hub has the potential to generate millions of jobs, and to guarantee future economic activities beyond rising sea levels and increasing overall land productivity, and to ensure that we do not have to wait for the land to produce more, we can do more with the land's productive capacity, as proposed in the original declaration at the time of the creation of the Zero Emissions Research Initiative.Gunter's Fables Translation
The cultivation of rice and seaweed inspired my early fable 24, "Red Rice," dedicated to Jorge Alberto Vieira Costa. The opportunity to cultivate anywhere was shared in fable 13, "Cold Feet," which was inspired by John P. Craven. For further information, please consult
www.guntersfables.org or www.zerilearning.org.
For more information
Sea Shell Spirals
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Feeding_China_with_Sea-Rice.php
Another case of the blue economy by Gunter Pauli
