The initiative, which seeks to take advantage of the potential of seaweeds to transform the coastal economy of Atacama and promote more sustainable management of these resources, was announced in the panel "The Potential of Seaweeds in Chile".
For five days the event took place, Blue Week 2025led by Ketrawa, in the Los Lagos region, with the mission of positioning Chilean Patagonia as a global hub for the blue economy, bringing together authorities, start-ups, scientists, investors and decision makers.
During the third day of the activity, which took place in the city of Puerto Montt and was focused on Ocean, Science and Innovation, the Technology Diffusion Program of Corfo Atacama was presented, Atacama Algae, carried out by Fundación Cocinamar and supported by the Atacama Productive Development Committee.
Griselda Ilabel, director of the initiative and of Fundación Cocinamar, was part of the panel "The Potential of Seaweeds in Chile", where she presented the work being carried out in the north of the country, together with more than 30 men and women dedicated to adding value to local seaweeds through the development of products.
“Chilean algae are highly appreciated by international markets, where they are incorporated into the food industry as thickeners and gelling agents, into the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and bioinsume industries, among others, but they are sold in bulk and at a very low cost. In this context, with this project, we support producers, producers, collectors and collectors of the area, to improve their technical, logistical and market to generate high-value businesses in the territory,” said Ilabel.
To this, he added, “in our country 95 per cent of the algae sent abroad are harvested and in the world the opposite is happening, 95 per cent of the algae used come from crops. We must find a balance in order to maintain the seaweed meadows because of their ecosystem effect on the ocean and that the collecting communities can receive a better price for their work, creating products of high value from Chile to world.”
The next steps of this initiative include training to strengthen the skills of beneficiaries and beneficiaries. In addition to technical visits to a women's cooperative that conducts cosmetics with algae and to regional plants where biostimulants are produced based on this resource. Connection that took place in the framework of Blue Week, along with Patagonia Biotechnology (PatBio), who use Patagonian algae for develop products that improve the resilience of crops to abiotic stress and increase their yield.
The project “Algas Atacama” will also provide support in the creation and development of individual and collective projects, with the aim of enhancing the capacities and opportunities of those involved in it.
During the meeting, Meyling Tang, vice president of Fundación Cocinamar, participated in the panel “Looking towards sustainable fisheries and aquaculture”. There, he shared how they have developed marketing models that connect small-scale fishers and fishers to the gastronomic world throughout Chile, through the network of entrepreneurs who have managed to consolidate.
