The organisers of the Seagriculture Conference, DLG Benelux, are pleased to announce the launch of Seagriculture USA, the first international seaweed conference in North America. Seagriculture USA will take place from 7-8 September 2022 in Portland, Maine.

Being the hotspot for the seaweed industry in North America the state of Maine is proudly supporting this first international seaweed conference in the USA. The conference is being supported by Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Maine Technology Institute (MTI), Maine International Trade Center (MITC) and Maine North Atlantic Development Office (MENADO).

The Seagriculture conference has built up a solid reputation as the leading conference for the Seaweed industry, Seagriculture has been successfully organised since 2012. The USA edition comes in addition to the European conference which takes place every year in another country in Europe. By expanding Seagriculture to the USA the organisers aim to create synergy between both events as well as to contribute to knowledge exchange between Europe and North America and foster a dialogue for the rapidly growing seaweed industry.

The choice to host the first edition of Seagriculture USA in Portland, Maine, is a natural one. The state of Maine has been on the forefront of the developing seaweed industry in the USA and the state is actively supporting the industry. In 2018, the total haul of farmed seaweed in Maine was around 54,000 pounds, then grew to 280,000 pounds in 2019. A projection from the Island Institute suggests that the annual take could top more than 3 million pounds by 2035.

Also, internationally the seaweed industry is booming, according to Fortune Business Insights the global commercial seaweed size is projected to reach USD 23.04 billion by 2027 (USD 13.33 billion in 2019), exhibiting a CAGR of 5,8% during the forecast period. By adding Seagriculture USA to the portfolio the organizers want to make a positive impact on the seaweed industry and community and make the connection between Europe and North America enabling industry professionals to learn from one another.

The European edition of Seagriculture will next year be organised in June in order to accommodate the USA edition in September. The organisers of Seagriculture are proud to work with the different state organisations from the state of Maine and strongly believe that both events will strengthen one another creating a dedicated platform for the entire industry.

More information will soon be available on www.seagriculture-usa.com.