Meet the Guardians of the Sea – Good Karma Sea Moss

Seaweed farming is the sustainable cultivation of edible seaweed species. It’s not just a business but also a positive contribution to our whole marine ecosystem. That’s why raising awareness around seaweed farming together with keeping our oceans clean and plastic-free for generations to come is key value to the Good Karma Sea Moss & Smoothie Program.

Bali’s seaweed farmers

Welcome to Nusa Lembongan, the small island of just 30min off the coast of Bali. Let me take you on a journey to rediscover life’s natural beauty, ancient traditions. In this little paradise, you can connect with yourself, Mother Nature, and the local community.

What truly sets the island apart is the tradition of seaweed farming, and Nusa Lembongan was once Southeast Asia’s largest producer of edible Seaweed.

Seaweed farming began in the late 1980s by local Balinese families who saw the economic potential and sustainability in this endeavor.

The first step in seaweed farming is selecting a suitable location.

The islands of Lembongan and Ceningan are optimal due to large areas of rocky shallow waters all around the islands, where strong tidal currents bring in large quantities of nutrient rich water.

Clean waters around these islands offer also great dive sites and are one of the world’s best manta ray spotting locations.

The Seaweed seeds are planted on ropes forming net structures or frames, providing an ideal growing environment.

Seaweed farming definitely has its challenges

Seaweed farming is hard work with daily monitoring of crops, water conditions, and working in harmony with the tides of mother nature.

Harvests are volatile and whole crops can be lost to storms and pests.

Maintaining the balance of coastal ecosystems

Their dedication goes beyond the surface, as they cultivate and harvest seaweed, contributing not only to local economy but also to benefit our oceans.

Seaweed farming has also proven to sequester huge amounts of carbon dioxide, some to the same level per sqm as rainforests.

Despite their crucial role, the rewards for their hard work often fall short. Seaweed farmers in Indonesia are trapped at the bottom of a global supply chain.

Seaweed farming requires deep understanding of the marine environment

Besides being hard working, and experts in their environment, the economic returns don’t always reflect the true value of the contributions and most farmers in Lembongan have been forced to quit, solely because of too low purchasing price offered by their only customer.

This nutrient-dense crop is purchased by a collector in Indonesia that refines it into a thickening agent called Carrageenan in a factory in Surabaya.

Industrial bulk Carrageenan is then put into all kinds of food additives, fancy skincare, and pharmaceutical products.

The profits of these products are made far and away from the farmers.

Unfair pricing models and market dynamics

Undermining the sustainability of this regenerative farming practice, this can leave seaweed farmers struggling to make ends meet.

To date, a seaweed farmer gets IDR 7,000 for one kilogram of seaweed if he sells it to the seaweed factories in Surabaya. As a consequence, 9 out of 10 of the farming families have given up this heritage and very sustainable farming practice.

It is time to take action if we want to help keep this sustainable Balinese tradition alive.

The Good Karma Sea Moss Program

The Good Karma Sea Moss program created a project together with the local seaweed farmers by producing a nutrient-rich gel cube of locally sourced sea moss, spirulina, moringa, and chlorella.

In collaboration with some of Bali’s finest restaurants, the cubes are used in a smoothie called Good Karma Smoothie on their menus.

Farm-to-table style restaurants buy these nutrient-rich cubes directly from the farmers, and the Good Karma program helps to market the smoothie for the farmers.

This program has already proven that it creates great results so farmers, so that they can keep farming more profitably, and not be as dependent on the global supply chain.

The Good Karma Smoothie quickly proved the case by generating over 100 times higher profits per kg dried seaweed for the farmers.

Until today date, over 50% of the profits from these smoothies have gone back to the local seaweed farmers and the other 50% have been used to market the products.

Ordering a healthy and delicious smoothie or smoothie bowl is a very tasty way for Bali expats and tourists to support the local seaweed farmers and to get a taste of the broadest spectrum of micronutrients their body most likely experienced.

Good for farmers, good for you!

Humanity has just started to scratch the surface of how we can use the ocean in an economical way without wasting resources.

That’s why raising awareness around seaweed farming together with keeping our oceans clean and plastic-free for generations to come is key value to the Good Karma Smoothie Program.

By creating sustainable business models we can allow the local families to move from the bottom of the supply chain to the top and keep this beautiful regenerative farming tradition alive whilst increasing world health by providing daily impact of the essential micronutrients human cells need.

Choose Good Karma Smoothie or a smoothie bowl with your next restaurant visit or ask for it at your local place and be the change you want to see in the world.

Try the delicious healthy smoothies at their official partners in Lembongan, Ceningan, Nusa Penida, Ubud and Uluwatu. With one sip or bite you can change a farmer’s life.

Find the Good Karma Smoothie in the following restaurants:

Nusa Lembongan

• Ombak Zero Waste Cafe
• Bali Eco Deli
• Morin Resort
• Alponte Ristorante
• Ginger & Jamu
• La Kaban
• Indiana Kenanga
• The Deck
• Ohana’s
• Kayu

Nusa Ceningan

• Seabreeze

Nusa Penida

• Sibarita
• Wyn’s cafe

Canggu

• Samadi
• Healthy Ubud

Ubud

• Alchemy
• Zest
• Sayuri
• Usada
• Swasti Eco Cottages
• Healthy Ubud
• Herb Library
• Dharma Kula
• Dharma Coffee
• The spell creperie

Uluwatu

• Ulu Garden
• Ulu Active
• Salty Coffee
• Alchemy

Learn more

Instagram: @ goodkarma.seamoss

Website: www.goodkarmasmoothie.com