Today’s good news comes from Vogue magazine and was sent to me by a reporter-at-large, Noelle Granger
Angelita Eriksen and Tamara Singer of Lofoten Seaweed.Morten Munthee
Meet the Women Leading Norway’s Seaweed Revolution
It’s still dark as I pick my way down a rocky path toward the sea. The air is as cold as you’d expect from a Norwegian winter, but the wind is still—a small mercy as I peel off my robe and slide into my wetsuit. I’m preparing to dive, not for fish, but for seaweed, a natural resource that is plentiful in this part of the world.
For centuries, the story of these wind-whipped northern shores has been told through the lens of the male-dominated fishing industry. But today, a seaweed-based movement led primarily by women is rapidly reshaping what it means to eat, farm and live sustainably.
Photo: Courtesy of Lilløy Lindenberg
“It’s like a tropical rainforest of seaweed that grows around just this tiny island,” explains Antje de Vries, emerging from the water with a handful of ribbon-like sugar kelp. Antje—a chef and ecotrophologist—runs the plant-based kitchen at Lilløy Lindenberg, a private island retreat off the coast of Bergen where I’ve been spending the weekend. I zip up my wetsuit and join her, gliding past colorful starfish and sea urchins in search of those tendrilling fronds. Two nights earlier, I’d joined Antje for ‘Kelp Club’, a roaming, nine-course supper where each dish has been made or infused with hand-harvested seaweed from this very fjord. “Fermenting, dehydrating, caramelizing, searing,” she raves, “what you can do with it is endless.”
Antje de Vries in the sea near Lilløy Lindenberg.
Photo: Courtesy of Lilløy Lindenberg
Her enthusiasm is far from an isolated culinary quirk. As the UN warns, we must cultivate the oceans to prevent food insecurity by 2050; these northern coasts are fast becoming a testing ground for a new ecological framework. Seaweed has unique potential to scale sustainable, nutrient-dense food supplies, requiring no arable land, fresh water, or synthetic fertilizers. It produces up to sixty percent of the world’s oxygen, absorbs dissolved nitrogen and captures carbon at rates that rival rainforests.
Little wonder, then, that the global seaweed market has more than tripled over the last two decades. And that’s to say nothing of the plant’s mind-boggling health benefits. Packed with iodine, essential minerals, and gut-stabilizing compounds, research shows that ocean-grown plants act as natural antibacterial agents and help regulate blood sugar—a primary reason why seaweed-rich diets in coastal Asian nations are consistently linked to longevity and lower rates of chronic disease.
Photo: Bruno Veiga / Courtesy of Lilløy Lindenberg
But long before global institutions began hailing seaweed as a future food, Angelita Eriksen knew it only as a nuisance; a weed that tangled her father’s boat propellers in the Arctic waters of the Lofoten Islands. It wasn’t until she returned home after many years abroad that her perspective started to shift. “I was blown away by its nutritional benefits, the taste, and its environmental impact. I called everyone that had ever mentioned it.” In doing so, she reached out to Tamara Singer, who was familiar with seaweed by way of her Japanese heritage. Together, they founded Lofoten Seaweed, a business that creates seaweed-based products from salts and sprinkles to seaweed-enhanced beauty products.
Tamara Singer of Lofoten Seaweed.
Photo: Morten Munthee / Courtesy of Lofoten Seaweed
Initially, local fishermen laughed at the sight of two women gathering weeds in their baskets. “It’s a tough, male-dominated environment,” says Angelita. “Many people didn’t understand what we were doing.” But as the company grew—eventually earning a spot on the menu at Copenhagen’s famed Noma and representing Norway at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or in Lyon—that skepticism turned to respect. Though seemingly novel, their work belongs to a much older, global tradition of women working with seaweed. For 3,000 years, Japan’s legendary Ama ‘sea women’ have freedived to harvest kelp. Centuries later, in Victorian England, women—banned from scientific institutions—took up beachcombing, where their work formed the backbone of modern seaweed classification. Today, across coastal Zanzibar and Tanzania, the seaweed sector is roughly 80% female-led and has transformed local communities by placing financial independence and civic leadership directly in women’s hands.
Angelita Eriksen of Lofoten Seaweed.
Photo: Morten Munthee / Courtesy of Lofoten Seaweed
“Here in Lofoten it goes way back to the Viking ages,” Angelita explains, “when women would stay back to run the farms while the men were gone. Seaweed harvesting was something they could do while staying at home with their children. It’s a tradition we have forgotten in modern society, but sometimes the older generations approach us and say, ‘You know, I also picked seaweed as a child.’” This return to ancient ways of working signals a wider cultural shift, as policymakers begin transitioning from dominance over nature to stewardship. “From a female perspective, it makes sense to work with the ocean in a more sustainable, harmonic way,” explains Tamara. “It’s kinder, not so brutal. Success for us means helping to make things better—people’s health, the environment.” Unlike fishing, which begins and ends with the catch, seaweed cultivation demands continuous care. You cannot over-harvest a reef without destroying your own livelihood; to gather from the ocean, you have to nurture it.
Photos: Morten Munthee / Courtesy of Lofoten Seaweed
“That feels like a uniquely female strength,” Antje reflects. And this more nourishing way of relating to the natural world extends to how these women physically encounter the ocean, too. While male commercial divers often layer up in thick, insulated drysuits, Norway’s female harvesters almost always wear wetsuits. It’s an intentional choice to forgo total protection in favor of tactile intimacy. “We’re feeling the water,” Antje says, her gloves deliberately worn thin at the fingertips. “I think that’s really important, that synchronization with nature. Feeling the elements is something we’re all missing.”
Last year, the EU endorsed algae as a key resource for the Continent’s green and blue transition. So far, Norway is leading the charge, piloting large offshore farms along its coastlines while investing in R&D initiatives like Arctic Seaweed and Seaweed Solutions. Advocates like Antje and founders like Angelita and Tamara are ensuring that gender parity is woven into the movement’s DNA from day one. But even as these projects begin to scale, their purpose remains the same: a conscious move away from extractive practices and toward a more restorative approach to our oceans. “It’s the birthplace of all on Earth, right?” Antje offers with a smile. For these women, seaweed isn’t just a superfood, but a way to reshape our relationship with the wild. And in tending to the ocean, we may just find our way back.
The good news in this story is the efforts to take a restorative approach to ocean commerce.
Today’s JohnKu talks about sustainable farming. I hope you have a super week.
Forever by John W. Howell © 2026
Nature has bounty,
But we must use it wisely . . .
Conserve where you can.
When we were at a State Park in Washington State, we saw several signs in various Asian languages which we thought said Please don’t eat the seaweed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story. Applause Applause to these resourceful ladies. My wife and I have had seaweed on our menu for several years.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love seaweed. Good to see you like it, too. (Of course you didn’t say you liked it.) 😄
LikeLike
And I didn’t say how we prepare it. Lots and lots of A-1 sauce and ketchup. Bake in oven at 850 degrees on an oak plank. Then toss the seaweed and eat the plank. (An old joke). Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t forget to tip the servers. I’ll be here all week.
LikeLike
What a heartwarming post! Thank you for sharing this, John. All smiles….and the stirrings of hope. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. These are the kinds of stories that give a boost to the hope factor. Thanks, Gwen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
sushi and nori chips…the vegan restaurants in town have been using seaweed for quite a while now. Amazing the food resources out there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it is. Seaweed is great stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved this story – mainly because it was in the ocean and I do like to eat seaweed, but man, those ladies must be cold, even with the wet suits!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can imagine it is pretty cold out there. Thanks, Noelle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like nori in soup and in sushi and California rolls. I imagine it would be good in salads too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would think so too. Thanks, Deborah
LikeLike
The benefits are staggering and it’s wonderful to applaud them and your post, John! ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Cindy. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always, John! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLike
I’m intrigued! I used to eat dulce (dried seaweed) as a treat when I was a kid. This is a great initiative for the future. I wonder if it’s very costly to process the harvested seaweed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a very good question, Liz. I really don’t know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is really interesting. I was exposed to it via a Japanese aunt. It was always more of a wrapping or an herb.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My experience is as a wrapper, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think I’ve ever tried seaweed, but the benefits sound fantastic. I’m up for giving it a try.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let me know how it comes out.
LikeLike
Interesting. Though I’d have to pass. Seaweed makes me sick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s a hall pass. You can run quickly out the door.
LikeLike
How ironic to read this, as only this morning I renewed my paused subscription for Kombu via Amazon. I love using it and have missed being able to do so for quite a long time,
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now you are back in the saddle. Enjoy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that while this has an extractive component, John, even though it leans toward a more restorative process ti benefit the oceans. Bravo to the ladies for shepherding this industry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I join you in giving them a round of applause, Monika. 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bravo to the seaweed ladies!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Jennie. 😊 Whoa. You are now caught up. 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
Getting caught up is a tah-dah! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s good to learn this about Antje de Vries being such a great seaweed harvester and that seaweed is a helpful food source, John.
LikeLike
I think so too, Tim. Thanks. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
It makes so much sense, to work WITH nature rather than against it. Good on these women for leading the way into a brave new world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Working with nature seems to have so many more benefits. You would think the world’s resource squanderers would get that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You would think!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😳
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe I should come out of retirement and go pick seaweed in Norway. As a Swedish citizen I could. Maybe, maybe not, but it seems like a good idea. I believe I’ve had seaweed / kelp pasta at a Japanese restaurant. We need all the good ideas to handle the future.
LikeLike
I wonder how profitable seaweed collecting is. Might be worth it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Salaries for jobs like that are probably good in Norway. That’s my experience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
That shift from extractive practices to restorative ocean farming is such a powerful model for sustainable agriculture! Your JohnKu sums it up perfectly—working with nature rather than against it is essential. As Sorryless and Monika (Tails Around the Ranch) highlighted in the comments, it’s so inspiring to see these women leading the charge. Great Friday share, John!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Prateek. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people