Indonesia accounts for nearly 30% of seaweed production worldwide and thereby is one of the primary global producers (Cai, 2021). The main seaweed genera produced in Indonesia representing about 20% of the weight produced and 18% of the value is Gracilaria sp. In 2021, national Gracilaria sp. production was approximately 1.9 million tonnes/year, worth around USD 370 million (KKP, 2023).
Part of Indonesian production is done in polyculture, defined as the joint cultivation of two or more species. This can improve pond productivity and increase environmental quality in the pond. Despite the potential benefits of polyculture, the socio-economic elements of the polyculture practices remain largely understudied. Investigated with means of literature review, interviews and a survey, this article aims to better understand the socio-economic aspects of polyculture seaweed farming. This study explores the case of seaweed culture (Gracilaria sp.) in Brebes Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia .
From societal perspective, polyculture is an alternative supporting farmers food resilience and offering the possibility to generate higher revenues per m2 (Figure 2) . It is needed to support farmers and farmer organisations in adopting polyculture practices. This can be done by increasing their bargaining power vis-à-vis the middlemen and/or financial support that enables farmers to do upfront investments in polyculture.
References
Cai, J. (2021). Global status of seaweed production, trade and utilization . www.fao.org/fishery/statistics/software/fishstatj/en .
KKP. (2023). Statistics KKP : fishery production.
. Retrieved on 5 May 2023.