The Knowledge and Development Gaps were used to identify the following priorities to address within the next 10 years. The order of tackling the identified first order priorities matters, as addressing some of these priorities creates enabling conditions for others. While a commercial seaweed-based animal feed industry exists, it cannot compete with conventional terrestrial feedstocks until it clears a sequential set of enabling gates in scaled product consistency, safety evidence, and regulatory clarity. Collectively, addressing the First-Order Priorities can help produce low carbon seaweed-based animal feed products safe for scaled adoption and subsequent greenhouse gas mitigation.

The order of tackling the identified first order priorities matters, as addressing some of these priorities creates enabling conditions for others. While a commercial seaweed-based animal feed industry exists, it cannot compete with conventional terrestrial feedstocks until it clears a sequential set of enabling gates in scaled product consistency, safety evidence, and regulatory clarity. Collectively, addressing the First-Order Priorities can help produce low carbon seaweed-based animal feed products safe for scaled adoption and subsequent greenhouse gas mitigation.

Goal:

By 2030, the composition, inclusion rate, and performance parameters for the five most commercially-relevant seaweed species are characterized for the terrestrial (ruminant, swine, poultry) and aquatic (e.g., low-trophic finfish, shellfish) livestock categories.

Key Actions

• Map the composition of the top five seaweed species used in commercial animal feeds, tracking their variability across seasons, cultivation geographies, and processing methods. Traits of interest include:
  • Bioaccumulation rate of undesirable anti-nutrition factors (e.g., heavy metals)
  • Concentration of desirable nutrition factors (e.g., essential amino acids)
  • Polysaccharide content
  • Protein content
• Publish more systematic dose-response studies for seaweed species-livestock combinations to establish effective inclusion rates, FCR and the thresholds at which palatability, digestibility, and health outcomes decline
• Accelerate selective breeding programs for seaweed strains with optimized states of the ideal traits above, using species already in commercial use

Key Actors and Roles 

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
Federal departments involved in agriculture, aquaculture, and basic R&D funding	Provide grant funding for R&D on species characterization and breeding programs	Federal governments can also provide funding for basic R&D that is essential for equitably exploring strain diversity, identifying those most promising for the industries scoped in this road map, and making them accessible to farmers and product producers. They can fund programs that a single company cannot justify funding alone
Academic researchers involved in seaweed aquaculture and animal nutrition	Lead composition mapping, dose-response studies, and compound identification for seaweed species/strains	Academic researchers will have the capacity to safely test different strains in lab and mesocosm studies and transparently share the results of their efforts
Animal feed product manufacturers	In partnerships with livestock farmers and academic researchers, define target nutritional and biochemical profiles required for end products Partner with academic researchers to conduct species strain R&D and compensate farmers for their participation in trials	Animal feed product manufacturers stand the most to benefit from the outcomes of Key Actions and so should lead on their activation and sustainment
Livestock farmers (aquatic and terrestrial)	Co-design and host studies of product inclusion to identify strains and dosage optimal to management needs	Livestock farmers have expertise in the dietary needs of their animals, and therefore they must be involved to identify desirable species/strains. Given that they are also offering their infrastructure and livestock for studies, they should be appropriately compensated for their partnership

Goal: By 2030, the composition, inclusion rate, and performance parameters for the five most commercially-relevant seaweed species are characterized for the terrestrial (ruminant, swine, poultry) and aquatic (e.g., low-trophic finfish, shellfish) livestock categories. Key Actions

• Map the composition of the top five seaweed species used in commercial animal feeds, tracking their variability across seasons, cultivation geographies, and processing methods. Traits of interest include:
  • Bioaccumulation rate of undesirable anti-nutrition factors (e.g., heavy metals)
  • Concentration of desirable nutrition factors (e.g., essential amino acids)
  • Polysaccharide content
  • Protein content
• Publish more systematic dose-response studies for seaweed species-livestock combinations to establish effective inclusion rates, FCR and the thresholds at which palatability, digestibility, and health outcomes decline
• Accelerate selective breeding programs for seaweed strains with optimized states of the ideal traits above, using species already in commercial use

Key Actors and Roles 

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
Federal departments involved in agriculture, aquaculture, and basic R&D funding	Provide grant funding for R&D on species characterization and breeding programs	Federal governments can also provide funding for basic R&D that is essential for equitably exploring strain diversity, identifying those most promising for the industries scoped in this road map, and making them accessible to farmers and product producers. They can fund programs that a single company cannot justify funding alone
Academic researchers involved in seaweed aquaculture and animal nutrition	Lead composition mapping, dose-response studies, and compound identification for seaweed species/strains	Academic researchers will have the capacity to safely test different strains in lab and mesocosm studies and transparently share the results of their efforts
Animal feed product manufacturers	In partnerships with livestock farmers and academic researchers, define target nutritional and biochemical profiles required for end products Partner with academic researchers to conduct species strain R&D and compensate farmers for their participation in trials	Animal feed product manufacturers stand the most to benefit from the outcomes of Key Actions and so should lead on their activation and sustainment
Livestock farmers (aquatic and terrestrial)	Co-design and host studies of product inclusion to identify strains and dosage optimal to management needs	Livestock farmers have expertise in the dietary needs of their animals, and therefore they must be involved to identify desirable species/strains. Given that they are also offering their infrastructure and livestock for studies, they should be appropriately compensated for their partnership

Goal:

By 2030, emerging extraction technologies are developed that produce seaweed-based animal feed with >60% protein content to make it cost-competitive with conventional plant-based competitors at ≥30% inclusion

Key Actions

• Develop and test low-carbon processing methods (e.g., EAE, MAE, UAE; ensiling and fermentation; enzyme hydrolysis)
• Explore integration with cascading biorefineries
  • Explore the possibility of co-extraction methods with existing seaweed processing industries (e.g., pharmaceutical industry partners who already extract polysaccharides for algin, etc.)

Assess the efficacy of waste valorization workstreams to isolate desired seaweed compounds

Goal:

By 2030, emerging extraction methods are scaled to reduce the concentration of heavy metals, polysaccharides, and other compounds that reduce the digestibility of products

Key Actions

• Accelerate study of fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis pretreatment methods
• Publish more systematic dose-response studies on high inclusion (≥30%) of seaweed-based animal feed products

Key Actors and Roles

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
Federal departments involved in basic R&D funding	Provide funding grants specifically catered to engineering and innovation for seaweed extraction methodologies	A federal funding program tailored to this task can ensure a diverse R&D portfolio to study multiple pathways and accelerate the field. Federal funders can also support more early-stage innovation, taking on more science and technology risks
Private/philanthropic funding organizations	Provide funding grants specifically catered to engineering and innovation for seaweed extraction methodologies	Philanthropic funding can provide critical capital to accelerate R&D for one or more of the key actions that unlock climate impacts
Existing seaweed processing companies (e.g., pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals)	Partner with animal feed product manufacturers to share conversion and stabilization technologies for testing blended products and cascading biorefinery methods	Existing seaweed processing companies have the infrastructure, capacity, and expertise to test different types of processing workstreams, including cascading biorefineries. They can help identify the efficacy of promising extraction methodologies and feasibility at scale
Animal feed producers	Test and standardize energy-efficient conversion technologies and explore integration with cascading biorefinery systems Implement monitoring tools for LCA, energy use, and material efficiency Provide transparency in conversion performance metrics	Animal feed product manufacturers have the infrastructure, expertise, and incentive to explore R&D innovations that lower their operational costs, gain competitive advantage through new innovations and increase demand for their services. Therefore, they should lead R&D project planning

Goal:

By 2030, emerging extraction technologies are developed that produce seaweed-based animal feed with >60% protein content to make it cost-competitive with conventional plant-based competitors at ≥30% inclusion

Key Actions

• Develop and test low-carbon processing methods (e.g., EAE, MAE, UAE; fermentation; enzyme hydrolysis)
• Explore integration with cascading biorefineries
  • Explore the possibility of co-extraction methods with existing seaweed processing industries (e.g., pharmaceutical industry partners who already extract polysaccharides for algin, etc.)

Assess the efficacy of waste valorization workstreams to isolate desired seaweed compounds

Goal:

By 2030, emerging extraction methods are scaled to reduce the concentration of heavy metals, polysaccharides, and other compounds that reduce the digestibility of products

Key Actions

• Accelerate study of fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis pretreatment methods
• Publish more systematic dose-response studies on high inclusion (≥30%) of seaweed-based animal feed products

Key Actors and Roles

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
Federal departments involved in basic R&D funding	Provide funding grants specifically catered to engineering and innovation for seaweed extraction methodologies	A federal funding program tailored to this task can ensure a diverse R&D portfolio to study multiple pathways and accelerate the field. Federal funders can also support more early-stage innovation, taking on more science and technology risks
Private/philanthropic funding organizations	Provide funding grants specifically catered to engineering and innovation for seaweed extraction methodologies	Philanthropic funding can provide critical capital to accelerate R&D for one or more of the key actions that unlock climate impacts
Existing seaweed processing companies (e.g., pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals)	Partner with animal feed product manufacturers to share conversion and stabilization technologies for testing blended products and cascading biorefinery methods	Existing seaweed processing companies have the infrastructure, capacity, and expertise to test different types of processing workstreams, including cascading biorefineries. They can help identify the efficacy of promising extraction methodologies and feasibility at scale
Animal feed producers	Test and standardize energy-efficient conversion technologies and explore integration with cascading biorefinery systems Implement monitoring tools for LCA, energy use, and material efficiency Provide transparency in conversion performance metrics	Animal feed product manufacturers have the infrastructure, expertise, and incentive to explore R&D innovations that lower their operational costs, gain competitive advantage through new innovations and increase demand for their services. Therefore, they should lead R&D project planning

Goal: By 2030, emerging extraction technologies are developed that produce seaweed-based animal feed with >60% protein content to make it cost-competitive with conventional plant-based competitors at ≥30% inclusion Key Actions

• Develop and test low-carbon processing methods (e.g., EAE, MAE, UAE; fermentation; enzyme hydrolysis)
• Explore integration with cascading biorefineries
  • Explore the possibility of co-extraction methods with existing seaweed processing industries (e.g., pharmaceutical industry partners who already extract polysaccharides for algin, etc.)

Assess the efficacy of waste valorization workstreams to isolate desired seaweed compounds Goal: by 2030, emerging extraction methods are scaled to reduce the concentration of heavy metals, polysaccharides, and other compounds that reduce the digestibility of products Key Actions

• Accelerate study of fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis pretreatment methods
• Publish more systematic dose-response studies on high inclusion (≥30%) of seaweed-based animal feed products

Key Actors and Roles

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
Federal departments involved in basic R&D funding	Provide funding grants specifically catered to engineering and innovation for seaweed extraction methodologies	A federal funding program tailored to this task can ensure a diverse R&D portfolio to study multiple pathways and accelerate the field. Federal funders can also support more early-stage innovation, taking on more science and technology risks
Private/philanthropic funding organizations	Provide funding grants specifically catered to engineering and innovation for seaweed extraction methodologies	Philanthropic funding can provide critical capital to accelerate R&D for one or more of the key actions that unlock climate impacts
Existing seaweed processing companies (e.g., pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals)	Partner with animal feed product manufacturers to share conversion and stabilization technologies for testing blended products and cascading biorefinery methods	Existing seaweed processing companies have the infrastructure, capacity, and expertise to test different types of processing workstreams, including cascading biorefineries. They can help identify the efficacy of promising extraction methodologies and feasibility at scale
Animal feed producers	Test and standardize energy-efficient conversion technologies and explore integration with cascading biorefinery systems Implement monitoring tools for LCA, energy use, and material efficiency Provide transparency in conversion performance metrics	Animal feed product manufacturers have the infrastructure, expertise, and incentive to explore R&D innovations that lower their operational costs, gain competitive advantage through new innovations and increase demand for their services. Therefore, they should lead R&D project planning

Goal:

By 2032, peer-reviewed bioaccumulation data are available for the top five commercial seaweed feed species across the main livestock categories, tracking contaminant transfer from feed through to edible product across a range of inclusion levels and processing methods. This data is submitted to FAO and WHO as the basis for initiating a Codex standard for seaweed in animal feed.

Key Actions

• Commission bioaccumulation studies measuring iodine, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury transfer from seaweed feed through livestock into meat, milk, and eggs — across species, inclusion levels, and processing methods.
• Establish a publicly accessible database of food safety data for seaweed-fed animal products, including how different processing methods affect contaminant levels in the finished feed and in livestock products.
• Submit findings to FAO/WHO Codex to initiate the standard-setting process for seaweed in animal feed, engaging Codex committees early to ensure study designs meet evidentiary requirements.
• Work with national regulators in key markets — EU, US, Canada, Australia, China — to develop interim seaweed-specific approval pathways based on available data while the Codex process proceeds.

Key Actors and Roles

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
International food safety experts and panels (e.g., FAO, WHO involved in Codex Alimentarius)	Receive and act on bioaccumulation data to initiate Codex standard development; provide early technical guidance on study design standards so that research is conducted to the level of evidence Codex will require.	Codex standards require FAO/WHO leadership and carry WTO backing. Early engagement prevents the sector from generating data that does not meet Codex evidentiary requirements, which would delay the standard-setting process.
National food safety regulators (e.g., EU EFSA, FDA, Health Canada)	Provide advance guidance on evidence thresholds needed for seaweed-specific classifications; participate in Codex working groups; develop interim approval pathways for products with sufficient existing safety data.	Early regulatory engagement allows commercial products to enter markets before Codex completion. Regulators benefit from industry-generated safety data that reduces their own assessment burden and informs rule-making.
Academic research institutions and food safety bodies	Design and conduct bioaccumulation studies; manage the open-access data inventory; peer-review findings before regulatory submission.	Independence is essential for regulatory credibility. Results submitted to Codex must be seen as free from commercial interest. Academic institutions are also better positioned to publish open-access data than industry-funded bodies.
Animal feed manufacturers	Provide access to commercial processing operations for contaminant sampling; fund preparation of regulatory submissions; share batch-level composition data with safety researchers.	Have the strongest commercial interest in clearing regulatory approval. Their operational data — actual batches at commercial scale — is essential for realistic contaminant assessments that laboratory studies alone cannot provide.

Goal: By 2032, peer-reviewed bioaccumulation data are available for the top five commercial seaweed feed species across the main livestock categories, tracking contaminant transfer from feed through to edible product across a range of inclusion levels and processing methods. This data is submitted to FAO and WHO as the basis for initiating a Codex standard for seaweed in animal feed. Key Actions

• Commission bioaccumulation studies measuring iodine, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury transfer from seaweed feed through livestock into meat, milk, and eggs — across species, inclusion levels, and processing methods.
• Establish a publicly accessible database of food safety data for seaweed-fed animal products, including how different processing methods affect contaminant levels in the finished feed and in livestock products.
• Submit findings to FAO/WHO Codex to initiate the standard-setting process for seaweed in animal feed, engaging Codex committees early to ensure study designs meet evidentiary requirements.
• Work with national regulators in key markets — EU, US, Canada, Australia, China — to develop interim seaweed-specific approval pathways based on available data while the Codex process proceeds.

Key Actors and Roles

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
International food safety experts and panels (e.g., FAO, WHO involved in Codex Alimentarius)	Receive and act on bioaccumulation data to initiate Codex standard development; provide early technical guidance on study design standards so that research is conducted to the level of evidence Codex will require.	Codex standards require FAO/WHO leadership and carry WTO backing. Early engagement prevents the sector from generating data that does not meet Codex evidentiary requirements, which would delay the standard-setting process.
National food safety regulators (e.g., EU EFSA, FDA, Health Canada)	Provide advance guidance on evidence thresholds needed for seaweed-specific classifications; participate in Codex working groups; develop interim approval pathways for products with sufficient existing safety data.	Early regulatory engagement allows commercial products to enter markets before Codex completion. Regulators benefit from industry-generated safety data that reduces their own assessment burden and informs rule-making.
Academic research institutions and food safety bodies	Design and conduct bioaccumulation studies; manage the open-access data inventory; peer-review findings before regulatory submission.	Independence is essential for regulatory credibility. Results submitted to Codex must be seen as free from commercial interest. Academic institutions are also better positioned to publish open-access data than industry-funded bodies.
Animal feed manufacturers	Provide access to commercial processing operations for contaminant sampling; fund preparation of regulatory submissions; share batch-level composition data with safety researchers.	Have the strongest commercial interest in clearing regulatory approval. Their operational data — actual batches at commercial scale — is essential for realistic contaminant assessments that laboratory studies alone cannot provide.

Goal:

By 2034, structured commercial demonstration programs are operating in at least five countries across the four main livestock categories; performance data from those programs is publicly available in a format accessible to feed buyers, veterinarians, and nutritionists; and supply chain traceability systems covering composition, species identity, and sourcing are in place for producers accounting for at least 30% of commercial seaweed feed volume.

Key Actions

• Design and fund demonstration programs that bring feed buyers, farmers, and nutritionists into trial design from the outset — generating data from participants' own farms and livestock — rather than presenting them with external laboratory results.
• Develop a shared supply chain traceability platform covering species identity, harvest source, processing method, and batch-level composition data, accessible to buyers making procurement decisions
• Conduct and publish end-to-end lifecycle assessments for the leading commercial products and seaweed-based products using standardized methodologies, so buyers can evaluate climate claims independently and comparably across products

Develop early-adopter buyer programs that reduce the commercial risk of trialing seaweed feed — for example through performance guarantees, shared trial costs, or data-sharing agreements that give participating farmers rights over the results generated from their operations

Actors and Roles

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
Academic research institutions and environmental NGOs with climate/agriculture portfolios	Conduct independent lifecycle analyses to quantify the environmental footprint of seaweed-based animal feed products compared to high-carbon competitors, with estimates for what this means at scale	Academic researchers and NGOs can act as a third-party in assessing end-to-end benefits of using seaweed-based products over conventional ones. This can inform farmers and top-down decision makers if/how to adopt seaweed-based products
Livestock farmers (early adopters)	Co-design and host demonstration trials that reflect real-farm considerations, share production data, and act as peer references for other farmers considering adoption	Farmer-to-farmer evidence carries more credibility with other farmers than manufacturer or researcher claims. Early adopters who see a measurable performance benefit have both the motivation and the standing to advocate for adoption among peers. Their operational context ensures trials are commercially realistic.
Feed industry associations and veterinary and nutrition bodies	Disseminate demonstration program findings to members; develop guidance on inclusion rates and management practices; provide professional endorsement pathways for products with sufficient evidence.	Veterinarians and nutritionists are the trusted intermediaries in feed adoption decisions. Professional body endorsement substantially reduces the individual risk of recommendation and accelerates the onboarding timeline for buyers who might otherwise spend years running their own trials before committing.

Goal: By 2034, structured commercial demonstration programs are operating in at least five countries across the four main livestock categories; performance data from those programs is publicly available in a format accessible to feed buyers, veterinarians, and nutritionists; and supply chain traceability systems covering composition, species identity, and sourcing are in place for producers accounting for at least 30% of commercial seaweed feed volume. Key Actions

• Design and fund demonstration programs that bring feed buyers, farmers, and nutritionists into trial design from the outset — generating data from participants' own farms and livestock — rather than presenting them with external laboratory results.
• Develop a shared supply chain traceability platform covering species identity, harvest source, processing method, and batch-level composition data, accessible to buyers making procurement decisions
• Conduct and publish end-to-end lifecycle assessments for the leading commercial products and seaweed-based products using standardized methodologies, so buyers can evaluate climate claims independently and comparably across products

Develop early-adopter buyer programs that reduce the commercial risk of trialing seaweed feed — for example through performance guarantees, shared trial costs, or data-sharing agreements that give participating farmers rights over the results generated from their operations Actors and Roles

Actor Group	Specific Roles	Rationale
Academic research institutions and environmental NGOs with climate/agriculture portfolios	Conduct independent lifecycle analyses to quantify the environmental footprint of seaweed-based animal feed products compared to high-carbon competitors, with estimates for what this means at scale	Academic researchers and NGOs can act as a third-party in assessing end-to-end benefits of using seaweed-based products over conventional ones. This can inform farmers and top-down decision makers if/how to adopt seaweed-based products
Livestock farmers (early adopters)	Co-design and host demonstration trials that reflect real-farm considerations, share production data, and act as peer references for other farmers considering adoption	Farmer-to-farmer evidence carries more credibility with other farmers than manufacturer or researcher claims. Early adopters who see a measurable performance benefit have both the motivation and the standing to advocate for adoption among peers. Their operational context ensures trials are commercially realistic.
Feed industry associations and veterinary and nutrition bodies	Disseminate demonstration program findings to members; develop guidance on inclusion rates and management practices; provide professional endorsement pathways for products with sufficient evidence.	Veterinarians and nutritionists are the trusted intermediaries in feed adoption decisions. Professional body endorsement substantially reduces the individual risk of recommendation and accelerates the onboarding timeline for buyers who might otherwise spend years running their own trials before committing.