Seaweed biostimulants are rapidly moving from niche products to essential tools in modern agriculture. With climate pressure, rising input costs (especially with global instability) , and soil degradation challenging farmers worldwide, interest in biological solutions is accelerating.
The global seaweed biostimulant market is now valued at more than US$1.4 billion and forecast to exceed US$2.4 billion by 2030, reflecting growing demand for inputs that improve efficiency and resilience in farming systems.
In October 2025, AgriSea was the only Australaisian company invited to present at the Seaweed Biostimulants Roundtable at the World Bank and IFC Headquarters in Washington DC, co-hosted by The Nature Conservancy and Hatch Blue. Clare shared AgriSea’s work developing seaweed-based biostimulants that improve farm profitability, soil health, and emissions outcomes.
A key outcome from the meeting was the launch of the Sea-to-Soil Resilience Network (SSRN) — a partnership between AgriSea, GreenWave (USA), and the Rodale Institute, with participation from North American farmed seaweed producers. Modelled on New Zealand’s Rere ki Uta, Rere ki Tai initiative, the network aims to reduce fertiliser use by up to 30%, improve yields, and strengthen soil health across North American farming systems.
Following the roundtable, Clare and Tane Bradley also met with senior World Bank and IFC representatives to discuss opportunities in climate-smart, low-emissions agriculture, highlighting AgriSea’s recent science publications, and commitment to sustainable seaweed production. In January Clare and Pablo Gregorini presented to a global webinar led by the world bank, showing their work connecting sea, soil and society health systems.
These discussions reinforce New Zealand’s growing global leadership in profitable, low-emissions agriculture and highlight the important role seaweed can play in the future of farming.
So what Is a Seaweed Biostimulant………Really?
The term “seaweed biostimulant” is being used very loosely in the New Zealand marketplace right now.
At its core, a seaweed biostimulant is a biologically active product derived from seaweed that stimulates plant processes, improving nutrient use efficiency, root development, stress tolerance, and overall crop resilience. It is not a fertiliser. It doesn’t work by simply adding nutrients. It works by activating the plant’s natural systems.
For that to happen, the seaweed must still contain meaningful bioactive compounds, natural plant hormones, polysaccharides, amino acids and trace elements, in forms that actually influence plant physiology.
We are increasingly seeing imported, heavily heat-treated and powdered products being added at as “activated kelp” into a drum of nitrogen. The seaweed is more likely to be a token label claim rather than an effective biological input.
A true biostimulant must be:
- Processed in a way that protects its bioactivity
- Applied at rates that are biologically meaningful
- Supported by evidence showing real plant response
Seaweed is powerful, but only when it is respected as a living, complex biological material, not reduced to a token additive. AgriSea seaweed biostimulants are considered the rolls Royce in terms of efficacy, consistency and return on investment.
As farmers face tighter margins and tougher growing conditions, it’s critical we are clear about the difference.
