Bio-Based Products from Mediterranean Seaweeds: Italian Opportunities and Challenges for a Sustainable Blue Economy

Simona Armeli Minicante, Lucia Bongiorni and Amelia De Lazzari
Additional contact information
Simona Armeli Minicante: National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR), Arsenale 101-104, Castello 2737F, 30122 Venezia, Italy
Lucia Bongiorni: National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR), Arsenale 101-104, Castello 2737F, 30122 Venezia, Italy
Amelia De Lazzari: National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR), Arsenale 101-104, Castello 2737F, 30122 Venezia, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Seaweeds are attracting increasing attention as an alternative healthy food and renewable drugs source and as agents of climate change mitigation that provide essential ecosystem services. In this context, seaweeds represent marine resources capable of supporting and pursuing the objectives of the Sustainable Blue Economy and the Bio-Based Circular Economy. In this review, we analyze the state of seaweed bio-based products and research on the Mediterranean Sea from the last 20 years. Results of this analysis show a large number of investigations focusing on antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities compared to on biofuels and bioplastics. Attempts at seaweed farming, although generally very limited, are present in Israel and some North African countries. Lastly, we focus on the Italian situation—including research, companies and legislation on seaweed production—and we discuss gaps, perspectives and challenges for the potential development of a sustainable seaweed industry according to the Sustainable Blue Economy.

Keywords: seaweed applications and production; Mediterranean Sea; bio-based products; Sustainable Blue Economy; Italian bioeconomy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/9/5634/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/9/5634/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:9:p:5634-:d:810344

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().