From Marine Macroalgae to Engineered Food Bioproducts: Cultivation, Processing and Deployment Systems

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) propose a global framework for promoting sustainable food systems that combine food security with preservation of environment. Rising population and shifting consumption patterns are projected to intensify global food demand, placing pressure on land, freshwater, and climate stability. In this context, seaweeds, also known as macroalgae, emerge as a promising sustainable resource to meet both the food demand and SDGs. They can be cultivated without arable land, freshwater irrigation, or synthetic fertilizers, and they contribute to carbon sequestration, nutrient bioremediation, and coastal ecosystem resilience. Integrating seaweed cultivation into sustainable aquaculture and incorporating it into innovative food products supports circular economy principles and climate-smart agriculture. Exploring seaweed’s potential in sustainable food systems from cultivation to food applications shows that environmentally sustainable approaches inspired by the SDGs can enhances both their agricultural practices or cultivation and their usage in development of sustainable food products.By 2050, the global population is projected to approach 9-10 billion, while climate change increasingly disrupts food production through salinization, extreme weather events, coastal degradation, and declining agricultural productivity. This situation is creating significant pressure in the form of increasing global food demand amidst limited productive land, which can no longer be met by conventional production methods or genetic modification. In particular, animal-derived proteins are being critically reassessed due to efficiency limitations, resource intensity, and environmental burdens, strengthening the demand for scalable and climate-resilient alternatives. In this context, advancing seaweed utilization requires a comprehensive and integrated approach that extends beyond general recognition of its nutritional value. Greater attention must be directed toward species-specific biochemical characterization, seasonal variability, safety assessment, and post-harvest processing, all of which significantly influence quality, functionality, and consumer acceptance. In addition, limited standardization in cultivation practices, supply-chain management, and regulatory frameworks continues to restrict wider food industry adoption. Therefore, systematic research on compositional and nutritional profiling, techno-functional properties, sustainable farming optimization, and innovative food products is essential. Strengthening these scientific and technological foundations will enable seaweed to transition from a regionally consumed commodity into a reliable, competitive, and widely integrated component of future sustainable food systems.The Research Topic addresses the comprehensive integration of seaweeds to sustainable food system from cultivation to food applications. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions on sustainable seaweed farming, integrated aquaculture systems, marine biotechnology, biomass valorization, and the industrial use of seaweed-derived bioactive compounds. Relevant themes include - Food safety and quality control, contaminant monitoring, legal regulations, and traceability systems supporting commercialization. - Innovative processing technologies; such as green extraction, fermentation, and biorefinery approaches—alongside product development, functional ingredient formulation, and techno-functional characterization. - Studies on market integration, value-chain sustainability, life cycle perspectives, consumer perception, and sensory acceptance. We invite researchers working in various fields from seaweed cultivation to food applications of seaweeds to submit manuscripts that provide scientific data and practical insights encouraging the incorporation of seaweed into sustainable food systems.Watch the Webinar Recording of our community webinar with a keynote from Dr. Amir Neori, where the Topic Editors present the scope of this Research Topic, offer guidance on submitting a manuscript, and answer questions from researchers. If you are thinking about contributing, it is a good place to start. Topic editors: Aysun Yücetepe, Hari Eko Irianto, Gamze Turan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78247/from-marine-macroalgae-to-engineered-food-bioproducts-cultivation-processing-and-deployment-systems