The Potential for Seaweed as Livestock Feed

The 2020 workshop series, convened by WWF and partners, brought together over 130 international stakeholders to evaluate seaweed as a livestock feed ingredient. The discussions focused on three primary areas: animal productivity and health, the chemical composition of seaweed, and the validation of greenhouse gas (GHG) measurements. Key findings highlight the role of bromoform in methane reduction, the necessity of standardizing seaweed analytics, and the importance of life cycle analyses (LCAs) to assess total environmental impact. The report emphasizes that for adoption to occur, seaweed must be safe, scalable, and have a neutral or positive impact on animal productivity.

• Bromoform is identified as the primary halogenated compound in many seaweeds and is responsible for most of the reported methane reduction potential. However, its release during processing can lead to volatile compounds that may reduce atmospheric ozone, and in high concentrations, it can be harmful to human and animal health.
• The effectiveness of seaweed as a feed ingredient depends on its chemical composition, which varies significantly based on species, genotype, season, life stage, and geographic location. Participants stressed the need for standardized analysis protocols and 'round robin' testing between labs to ensure consistency and reproducibility.
• For livestock producers to adopt seaweed feed, the product must maintain or improve animal health and productivity. While reproductive success is a consideration, production and growth traits are higher immediate priorities because any feed ingredient must have a neutral or positive impact on production to be economically viable for farmers.
• Measuring enteric methane requires different methods depending on the research goal: respiration chambers are preferred for total methane production, SF6 tracer techniques are better for pasture-only diets, and the GreenFeed system is most effective for quantifying emissions across a large number of animals.
• Comprehensive environmental assessments of seaweed feed must utilize life cycle analyses (LCAs) that cover the entire production cycle, including upstream effects (cultivation and harvesting) and downstream effects (manure storage and farm management).
• Iodine content in seaweed varies by species, geography, and season; high levels can negatively affect animals and humans, particularly in milk or meat. However, this is considered a manageable issue through selective iodine reduction during processing.
• The scalability and cost-effectiveness of seaweed production are critical barriers. Potential solutions include selective breeding for important compounds to reduce the required volume of inclusion and the use of voluntary carbon markets or policy-driven emissions limits to incentivize adoption.

APA

WWF International (2020). The Potential for Seaweed as Livestock Feed. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/194/9b9cbyw7sg_Potential_for_Seaweed_as_Livestock_Feed_Workshop_Report_2020.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. The Potential for Seaweed as Livestock Feed. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/194/9b9cbyw7sg_Potential_for_Seaweed_as_Livestock_Feed_Workshop_Report_2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=The Potential for Seaweed as Livestock Feed |date=2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/194/9b9cbyw7sg_Potential_for_Seaweed_as_Livestock_Feed_Workshop_Report_2020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020potential, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{The Potential for Seaweed as Livestock Feed}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/194/9b9cbyw7sg_Potential_for_Seaweed_as_Livestock_Feed_Workshop_Report_2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }