Belize Joins Caribbean in Turning Sargassum into Economic Opportunity

Four Caribbean nations are stepping up to turn the growing sargassum seaweed crisis into a powerful economic opportunity through the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funding.

Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Belize are among the selected countries to receive support for innovative projects that will transform sargassum into valuable resources for industries like agriculture, waste management, and renewable energy.

The initiative is a response to the increasing influx of sargassum seaweed that has negatively impacted tourism, fishing, and coastal ecosystems in the region since 2011. It aims to tackle the environmental damage caused by sargassum while providing new pathways for sustainable growth and coastal resilience.

According to the IDB, “This initiative was launched to identify and support solutions that leverage advanced technologies and innovative practices to harness the potential of sargassum biomass and enhance the resilience of coastal communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Among the selected projects, Caribbean Chemicals will create safe products for crops by reducing arsenic and heavy metals in sargassum, while Belize will implement a Waste Recycling Environment Network to manage sargassum and produce high-quality compost and fertilisers.

By implementing the Static Pile Inoculated Compost Extension (SPICE) composting process, the Waste Recycling Environment Network in Belize seeks to sustainably manage sargassum and other waste materials. Through the production of high-quality compost and liquid fertilisers, it aims to enhance local agriculture while minimising the environmental impact of waste.