Social Business and Seaweed: How their combined role could support local economic development in Thailand and other tropical developing countries

Social businesses are non-loss, non-dividend companies specifically designed to solve social and environmental problems. Seaweed cultivation offers a potential opportunity for social business, considering that it is extensively produced in low- and middle-income countries and already supports the livelihoods of over 6M farmers globally. Caulerpa corynephora, a green seaweed cultivated in southeast Asia, including Thailand, offers a social business opportunity for low-income entrepreneurs, particularly women. Market research found high levels of unmet demand for Caulerpa products in southern Thailand, whilst a pilot scale cultivation trial found that community members, with no prior experience, could become Caulerpa entrepreneurs. The trials required startup capital of less than 10,000 THB (GBP 225), with a breakeven point of approximately 4 months. Further support is needed, however, to establish an enabling ecosystem for the potential of seaweed social business to be realised at scale, including further government buy-in and support mechanisms, such as social business intermediaries.