NEWS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2022 11 Zeewaar, the first Dutch and organically certified seaweed farm, has been acquired by The Seaweed Company. Zeewaar, the first Dutch and organically certified seaweed farm and located in a unique location in the Oosterschelde National Park, has a new owner. After years of inspiring leadership by the seaweed pioneers Rebecca Wiering and Jennifer Breaton, the duo and the partners involved (e.g. impact investors DOEN Participaties and Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds) have decided to sell the company to The Seaweed Company. With the acquisition of Zeewaar, The Seaweed Company strengthens its position in the 'Blue Food' market to put seaweed applications and ingredients on the menu in a fast growing market of consumers and companies in Europe looking for high-quality and reliable seaweed. The Zeewaar company, founded in 2013 by Rebecca and Jennifer, produces seaweed organically in its own seaweed farm and processing facility in and at the Jacobahaven, Kamperland. Over the past decade, Zeewaar has further developed the market for seaweed products in the Netherlands by collaborating with brands such as Hema, ProLaTerre (part of SoFine Foods) and The Dutch Weedburger (part of Livekindly Collective). Partnerships have been set up with several sustainable European seaweed companies to meet the increasing demand for seaweed. “The seaweed industry in the EU is growing but is still in its infancy. After 10 years of pioneering as an impact entrepreneur, the time has come to transfer our seaweed farm and wholesaler to a passionate team with a different composition. Joining The Seaweed Company will ensure that Zeewaar continues to develop and we are confident that the impact achieved will be further increased.” says Rebecca Wiering. First Dutch seaweed farm Zeewaar joins The Seaweed Company trust,” the company said in a statement. The contribution to the economic and productive development of the country is also tangible in the generation of employment that this new investment will bring. “Once the plant starts operating, we calculate an increase of between 40 and 50% of workers,” explained Fabricio Vargas. In 2021, Nicovita expanded its production and storage capacity for 35 million dollars, which is about to be consolidated during the first half of 2022. With this new investment, Nicovita and Vitapro further strengthen the aquaculture infrastructure of the country, guaranteeing the food for the shrimp that its clients will produce and export in the coming year. Thus it contributes to Ecuador maintaining the leadership it achieved in 2020 by registering record figures in exports and positioning itself in 2021 as the world’s largest producer of shrimp, above strong Asian competitors such as China, Vietnam, India and Indonesia.
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