Despite their sustainability and health benefits, seaweed and bivalve consumption remains low due to gaps in accessible nutrition and food safety data. Over the past two years, Food + Planet and Food for Climate League have convened two roundtables with geographically diverse U.S. farmers to identify barriers and opportunities to increase demand for these products. Key needs identified include consumer-friendly talking points on nutritional compounds such as protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium, as well as addressing food safety concerns, including iodine, PFAS, and heavy metal contamination. This presentation will synthesize the opportunities and challenges faced by U.S. farmers, showcase novel nutrition and food safety analysis data for 13 seaweed and 7 bivalve species produced in the USA, and highlight actionable strategies to enhance consumer confidence and drive consumption. These strategies aim to position seaweeds and bivalves as vital components of a nutritious, sustainable food system. By translating novel data into actionable insights, they empower farmers to confidently promote their products, fostering increased consumption and contributing to farmer livelihoods, planetary health, and nutrition security.
Species to be featured include: Pectinidae, Mytilus edulis, Mercenaria mercenaria, Crassostrea virginica, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Venerupis philippinarum, Crassostrea gigas, Gracilaria mammillaris, Sargassum fluitans, Solieria filiformis, Palmaria palmata, Porphyra umbilicalis, Ulva lactuca, Laminaria digitata, Chondrus crispus, Alaria esculenta, Saccharina latissima, Saccharina groenlandica, Laminaria pallida, Nereocystis luetkeana, Saccharina latissima