This Practical Guide provides access to knowledge, information, tools and solutions that facilitate governance in tropical seaweed-to-carrageenan value chains (TSV). This means:

The need for improved governance of tropical seaweed value chains has been evident for several years. Cottonii supplies have been tight, value-chain dynamics have been opaque and quality issues have created considerable value-chain friction. The intensity of a need for value chain governance systems became very evident during the cottonii crisis of 2008 (Figure 1).

The decision to publish this Practical Guide and to mobilize
www.seaplant.net/bimpeaga was reached as a result of  value chain studies and stakeholder meetings sponsored by GTZ, IFC and ADB during 2006-2007. The need was punctuated by the extremely active participation of industry and other seaweed stakeholder groups at the First Indonesia Seaweed Forum in Makassar on October 27-30, 2008. It was concluded that future events such as the 2008 cottonii crisis could be prevented and tropical seaweed-to-carrageenan value chains could become much more sustainable if BIMP-EAGA takes the lead in providing:

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS including regulatory constraints and guidelines that are value-chain “show-stoppers”.

INFORMATION PRODUCTS – especially decision critical items such as seaweed production and pricing.

TOOLS including open protocols for good practices; test procedures; approved third-party testing providers and transparent tracing of crop provenance.

SOLUTIONS such as an affordable third-party quality assurance system that enables sellers to assure buyers that they are getting what they pay for.

This Practical Guide is a step toward linking buyers and sellers to these products and several others that will facilitate functions for integrated global seaweed-to carrageenan value chains.