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5.1 Issues perceived by farmers
The major sustainability issues perceived by farmers revolve around seasonality impacts on crop productivity of cottonii and the price instability that accompanied
seasonal variations in seaweed supply. Specific issues are: • the need for robust cottonii cultivars that have similar growth characteristics to
spinosum cultivars, especially with respect to growth during all seasons of the year;
• the need for cottonii cultivar biomass in sufficient quantities for seasonal replanting;
• the need for finance to cover the purchases of biomass for replanting; • means for prevention or control of “ice-ice” malaise, Neosiphonia infestation and
other seasonal maladies; • access to fair trade and market links;
• access to knowledge and information on technologies appropriate to the different seaweed farming regions.
5.2 Issues perceived by processors
Processors have been exposed for several years to cottonii supplies that fell short of demand. The problem became especially critical in 2008–09 when short supplies
resulted in high and unstable prices that resulted in the loss of carrageenan market share to other food ingredients. As of late 2009, the carrageenan market remained weak.
Processors were uncertain as to whether that was caused by price instability or was a reflection of the global economic recession. There was a general consensus that stable,
affordable cottonii supplies were essential to sustainable carrageenan markets.
Marinalg International is a worldwide association that promotes the image and use of seaweed-derived hydrocolloids in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.
Many of the world’s largest processors of RAGS belong to Marinalg. Specific issues of interest to the industry have been addressed by Marinalg in position papers posted
on its Web site www.marinalg.org. One persistent issue addressed by Marinalg deals with recent attempts to have carrageenan banned as a food additive Tobacman et al.,
2008. Another problem is connected with reports describing how introduced RAGS have established alien and invasive populations in coral reef habitats in Hawaii Parsons
et al., 2008, Kiribati Pala, 2008 and Tamil Nadu in India Tobacman et al., 2008; Chandrasekaran et al., 2008. Marinalg responded to these reports with a position
paper and a protocol for introducing non-indigenous seaweeds.
5.3 Issues perceived by governments
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