The publications, resulting from the Regional Technical Workshop held in June 2024, offer a roadmap to promote macroalgae aquaculture in the region and is already available for free access through the organization's website.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Institute of Aquaculture and Environment of the Austral University of Chile (UACh) they launched this month of July the official publication of the Regional Technical Workshop “"Status and prospects of macroalgae farming in Latin America" (ACUIALGAS), held in Puerto Varas in 2024. The document, part of the series Fishery and Aquaculture Minutes from the FAOsystematizes the main results of the meeting, in which 27 experts from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela participated.

The publication presents an exhaustive diagnosis of the current state of macroalgae farming in Latin America, addressing six strategic areas: feeding and biotechnology, governance, ecosystem services, technology, social inclusion and value chainsThrough reports commissioned and case studies, the document identifies key challenges and proposes concrete recommendations to strengthen macroalgae aquaculture in the region.

Among its main conclusions, it stands out the need to move towards specific regulatory frameworks, improve coastal use planning, promote technological research, and recognize the role of macroalgae in mitigating climate change and food security. Likewise, the potential of this activity to generate decent employment is highlighted, with a focus on gender equity and youth inclusion.

The publication of the minutes of the workshop includes the contributions of doctors Ana Farías Molina (UACh), Pedro Murúa (UACh & MASH), Carolina Camus and Alejandro Buschmann (researchers of the i~mar Center & MASH, Universidad de Los Lagos), as well as Dr. Sylvain Faugeron (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile & MASH).

In addition to the minutes of the workshop, a policy note (Policy Brief) was also published, summarising the main technical and strategic recommendations for decision-makers, with the aim of facilitating the incorporation of macroalgae farming into sustainable development and coastal marine agendas.

According to Murúa, these documents "not only gather the most up-to-date knowledge on macroalgae cultivation in the region, but they also constitute a fundamental technical basis to guide public policies, design training programs and promote inclusive and sustainable sectoral development initiatives," said the UACh academic.

This participation reflects the active role that the MASH Millennium Nucleus has taken in the construction of technical and strategic knowledge on macroalgae aquaculture in Latin America, contributing through applied research and capacity building.

Both publications are available free of charge through the FAO digital repository:

Minutes of the workshop: https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/454169e1-85bd-40a2-8755-8ff2b96ad516

Here you can see the document (Policy brief): https://doi.org/10.4060/cd6054es