Project description
A co-designed roadmap for regenerative ocean farming
To restore oceans and waters by 2030, sustainable business models for regenerative aquaculture, founded on science and collaboration with stakeholders, are essential. Ocean farmers must ensure that their practices are technically and economically viable. This approach should not only benefit ecosystem services, community resilience and job creation, but also tap into market potential. The EU-funded C-FAARER project aims to provide a co-designed roadmap and guidance to support ocean farmers in the Atlantic and Arctic Sea basins. The goal is to foster community-driven business models for regenerative ocean farming and enable policymakers to take appropriate actions. This project will analyse the impact of socio-economic and environmental factors on community business models in Norway and Ireland.
Objective
To restore and protect ocean ecosystems within a sustainable blue economy, in line with the objectives of the Mission ‘Restore Our Ocean and Waters by 2030’, we urgently need new business models for regenerative aquaculture, informed by best scientific evidence on environmental impacts and developed in partnership with societal stakeholders. To encourage adoption, such practices must be technically, operationally, and economically viable for ocean farmers, with clear benefits to ecosystem services, community resilience, market potential and job creation. C-FAARER will deliver a roadmap and guidance, co-designed with stakeholders, to support ocean farmers in the Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin to develop community-driven business models for regenerative ocean farming and policymakers to take enabling actions.
C-FAARER builds on prior EU projects, reviewing evidence on socio-economic and environmental impacts and successful community business models to establish a robust case for adoption. Working with ocean farmers and coastal communities at sites in Norway and Ireland, we will analyse technical, operational, economic, environmental, and social needs and create guidance on developing site-specific community-led business plans. We will co-design feasibility reports and evidence-based business plans with members of the Norwegian Seaweed Association cluster of 80+ ocean farmers, replicate lessons via a new Irish Seaweed Association and ensure long-term sustainability through a new Community of Practice on the established Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform. Policy recommendations will highlight barriers, supports and investments needed from local, national and EU authorities to strengthen and scale regenerative community-led aquaculture in the Atlantic and Arctic Sea basin. Clustering and engagement with Ocean Mission projects and partner networks will identify opportunities to embed community-led business models for regenerative aquaculture in future Mission actions.
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Funding Scheme
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support ActionsCoordinator
D02 CX56 DUBLIN 2
Ireland