Algaia accelerates it sustainability program, appoints Frédéric Faure to CEO

Image courtesy of Algaia

Frédéric Faure, co-founder of Algaia (Paris), was appointed to CEO as of June 1, 2020. Additionally, Faure said the company is accelerating and expanding its sustainability plan toward achieving a minimal carbon footprint by 2025. 

“Our know-how in extraction, marine biotechnologies, and our innovative multiple stage extraction processes can allow us to generate new byproducts, meeting the needs for more sustainable and naturally sourced solutions,” Faure said in a press release. “We set an ambitious goal to address one of the biggest environmental challenges in producing algae-based products today: keeping up with the fast-growing demand.”

The company is advancing its in-house co-extraction strategy of fresh seaweeds and optimizing its use of raw materials to reduce its environmental impact. The traditional manufacturing process for seaweed extracts utilizes only 15 -35% of the raw material. Algaia has set a goal of using its multiple-extraction process to use 80 - 90% of the fresh seaweed biomass that it harvests by 2025.

Algaia is also committed to building strong relationships with local fishermen. “Food companies are increasingly turning to trusted, local suppliers who have demonstrated their reliability in the pandemic,” Faure said. “Working closely with the fishermen lets us speedily answer the rapidly growing demand for our product line and guarantee access to the most bioactive components that we could co-extract from our fresh biomass. The fresher the seaweed, the better we can procure of its high-value active compounds. We are eager to further participate and contribute in this traditional ocean farming activity in the region and become more involved with the community—they are the key to guaranteeing a sea-to-fork supply chain with the complete transparency that every consumer deserves.”