Keeping faith and staying focused in dark times - by Lise Chapman, March 1, 2022

TANGO Seaweed is part of an important development of growing food that is environmentally and climate positive. We are on a good track with entering markets, a recently completed capital increase and a new seaweed harvest ahead. Yet, it is difficult to stay focused when the world around us is on fire – with the pandemic not fully passed, there is war in Ukraine and another report urges us to act upon an ever more imminent climate crisis. Seaweed has got to do with all of this, and can be a small symbol of hope.

TANGO Seaweed is producing seaweed according to nature’s principles. We are striving to become a prosperous business with a triple top line, i.e. working towards profitability and positive impact for people and for the planet.

Just recently, we have completed a new round of capital increase which enables us to expand our team, consolidate our company and – at the core – grow healthy seaweed. At least as important as the capital funds, it is the fact that our shareholders SHARE our visions and contribute to our journey on multiple levels – without their trust, patience and belief in what we do, TANGO would not exist.

Despite our inspiring journey, it is easy to get discouraged by recent dramatic events and news.

A market push from the war?

Currently, we get many messages from citizens in Norway and beyond who have started buying iodine tablets to take in case of a nuclear outfall in consequence of military actions in Ukraine.

Our cultivated kelps are rich in iodine and we have been communicating the potential of supplying natural iodine from our seaweed to combat iodine deficiencies which are a major problem for large parts of European and western populations. Nevertheless, we never imagined that it would be a war in Europe helping us to get our message across. This feels both ironic and almost immoral.

Whereas we are happy to contribute with what we have in times of crisis – in our case iodine-rich seaweed - we would like to keep our focus and attention on seaweeds as healthy components of any diet in non-crisis times.

The same applies to climate change. Seaweed cultivation represents a climate-positive form of food production in principle: recycling of (excessive) nutrients from ocean waters instead of requiring fertilisation, positive impacts on carbon cycles, as well as being independent of limited freshwater resources are just some of the aspects.

Globally, an emerging seaweed sector is benefitting from the urgency to combat climate change. However, being a pioneer in this field also means that we face many challenges of how to get things right – everything from providing high quality seedlings to suitable farm infrastructure and not least understanding all the parameters that make our seaweed grow reliably – not just one year, but every year. Not just one species, but both of them. At TANGO, we are committed to developing regenerative ocean farming and we look to nature as the most competent teacher. However, this is a complex business and takes time. Time which we don’t have, it seems.

The various direct and indirect effects of climate change – such as a warming and increasingly acidifying ocean, loss of species and biodiversity and more extreme weather events to name just a few, are noticeable also in our farm and our operations, and we need to work with and around them.

On top of that, we are aware that our currently rather pristine ocean environments in Norway are threatened by all types of pollution – microplastics for instance, but also radioactive pollution (back to the possible consequences from the current war).

Growing healthy seaweed will always depend on healthy ecosystems and environments. We are therefore dependent on working towards long-term solutions for the various crises, and we are lucky that seaweed farming can play an active part. No, it is not a silver bullet, and no, it is not a fast-track to a healthy planet.

The challenges remain and become more urgent – whether it is a war, climate change, pollution or a biodiversity crisis. We try to keep faith by staying focused on being part of solutions. Today we are overwhelmed by the severity of global events, yet, we are also lucky to have a role to play, however small, towards a better future.

We see ourselves as part of a larger community, and – even more importantly – as part of our living planet. To recognise our interdependencies with the world around us is also a chance to make a difference – within our means.

In this sense, seaweed can be a small symbol of hope.