By: Ben Fasciano
The Philippines’ Cabalian Bay is beautiful on a calm evening in October, its still waters fringed with mountains and mangroves. The wealth of natural resources in this region contributes significantly to local livelihoods, food security, and economic development. Yet, these natural resources are under threat. Natural disasters, including mudslides, typhoons, and floods, have caused devastating losses of life and livelihoods in the past 20 years.
Fishing—once a primary source of income—is at risk, with significant decreases in fish populations due to overfishing. All the while, mangrove deforestation has fragmented habitats and degraded coastal ecosystem health.
As climate change intensifies the risk of future disasters and loss of biodiversity in the region, the community is looking for a new source of livelihood to help build a more resilient and sustainable future. And, they have found a solution in seaweed.
On a recent trip to the Philippines, I visited a seaweed farm in Cabalian Bay that EDF helped establish in 2024. The project not only seeks to support local livelihoods but also to serve as a model for sustainable seaweed farming to be implemented by other communities in the region.
Why seaweed? Seaweed rapidly draws down carbon as it grows, with the potential to act as a “natural climate solution.” Seaweed is more than just a food, certain seaweed products have the potential to store carbon long-term (e.g. construction materials) or provide greener alternatives to high-pollution products like fertilizers, fuels, and plastics. Global demand for seaweed is growing rapidly, offering coastal communities a new livelihood that benefits people and nature.
The farm in Cabalian Bay is now run by The Juanas Lipanto Association, a community-based organization composed primarily of women, who view seaweed farming as a potential source of supplementary income for their families.
The success of the Juanas Lipanto Association is already evident. This December, they earned their first income and bought five 50kg bags of rice that were shared within the community. They plan to grow more than 10 times as much seaweed at the farm in 2025, increasing income and food security for their members and their families.
Members of The Juanas Lipanto Association attend trainings from Coast 4C, a Philippines supplier of responsibly sourced seaweed and a 2024 Earthshot Prize finalist, where they learn how to conduct farm operations, grow seaweed, and manage the business aspects of the farm.
By providing these training programs and buying seaweed at a premium price relative to the market rate, Coast 4C is actively building a larger, more reliable network of seaweed suppliers and increasing the share of profits from global seaweed markets received by small-scale growers in the Philippines.
On the day of my visit, the members of Juanas Lipanto Association were preparing new lines of seaweed for planting. They patiently helped me as I joined in and clumsily tied the small pieces of seaweed to the line. The work was done in a social manner with lots of laughing, chatting, and a shared lunch, eaten from banana leaves laid out as a platter.
The livelihood initiative has also been supported by the Local Government Unit (LGU), which has agreed to contribute funding to the growth of seaweed farming in the area. This support is a testament to the work done by EDF’s local team to build relationships and trust with members of the LGU, including the mayor, who awarded EDF with a 2024 Plaque of Recognition for their dedication and support for the wellbeing of local communities and ecosystems.
In partnership with local government, EDF helped facilitate a learning exchange in Bohol for the Juanas Lipanto Association and LGU leaders. The goal was to empower these groups with practical knowledge on sustainable seaweed farming and business skills, such as training in Community-managed Savings and Credit Association (CoMSCA), a savings mechanism that enables rural communities to manage their own savings and credit systems.
The members of the Juanas Lipanto Association also visited nearby farms, where they heard firsthand from Bohol farmers how seaweed farming transformed their lives and how they dealt with challenges on the way to establishing a successful local seaweed industry. As a result, they left inspired and better equipped to build a strong seaweed industry in Cabalian Bay.
As I departed, I reflected on how local collaborations and knowledge sharing contributed directly to community resilience and livelihoods. I was inspired by the work of EDF’s local team to identify partners and build strong interpersonal relationships. This was critical to making sure that groups, such as the Juanas Lipanto Association, would be supported and empowered to continue developing a strong regional seaweed farming sector for a more sustainable future. It is exciting to see how much progress has been made via seaweed farming in Cabalian Bay, and I can’t wait to see how this community thrives in the future.