CJ CheilJedang to roll out land-grown Korean seaweed

Researchers inspect land-grown seaweed at CJ CheilJedang's research center in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of CJ CheilJedang

CJ CheilJedang will roll out land-grown Korean seaweed through a new commercialization facility, as the company looks to capitalize on growing global demand for Korean seaweed while responding to rising seawater temperatures and other climate change-driven disruptions.

The company said Monday it will establish the land-based farming facility in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, in August.

The move marks a commercialization stage following the company's development of Korea’s first seaweed land farming technology in 2018, successfully cultivating seaweed in a 3-ton tank in 2021 and securing a dedicated seaweed variety in 2022.

The facility is scheduled for completion in the first half of next year, and seaweed products produced there will be marketed under the Bibigo Seaweed brand. To support the project, CJ CheilJedang will establish cooperation programs with local governments and fishing communities.

The facility will be equipped with multiple tanks and cultivation systems. Based on its proprietary seaweed variety, seaweed life cycle control technology and integrated quality management capabilities, the company said it will scale up commercial production in the coming years.

When the facility begins operations, the company will be able to supply seaweed year-round with fresh and consistent quality, overcoming the seasonality of conventional seaweed harvesting, which is typically limited to the winter months.

The move is expected to strengthen CJ CheilJedang's global supply chain at a time when rising sea temperatures caused by global warming are disrupting production stability in offshore seaweed farming, while global demand for Korean seaweed continues to grow.

CJ CheilJedang completed patent registration for the land-specific seaweed variety earlier this year. The company said the variety offers higher productivity, efficiency and temperature adaptability than conventional ocean-farmed kinds.

“The facility will serve as a frontier base for applying more than a decade of accumulated land-based cultivation technology to industrial-scale production,” said Adam Ricciardone, chief technology officer of CJ CheilJedang's research and development.

“We will accelerate the commercialization process so consumers can enjoy fresh and delicious Bibigo seaweed products throughout the year,” he said.