A uniquely green, carbon-capturing Australian seaweed grown on nutrient-rich, agricultural
wastewater from Shoalhaven Starches, is closing the loop on sustainable production of
superfoods for global consumers.
Two decades in the making, the Australian-first model for regenerative farming uses world-first technology by Venus Shell Systems, to create a closed-circuit ecosystem that oxygenates
the water and buffers acidity with seaweed growth rates up to 50 times faster than land-based crops.
The supercharged seaweed absorbs nitrogen and other nutrient residues in controlled
streams from Manildra Group’s world-class manufacturing facility, on the New South Wales
south coast, and releases oxygenated water back into the environment – boosting protein
content by more than 40 per cent compared to seaweed cultivated at sea.
Protected from open ocean elements, the meticulously filtered streams of treated
production water deliver traceable marine molecules that are highly sought in medical and
personal care industries – from tissue regeneration in wounds and organs to fighting viruses
– and in fortifying PhycoHealth end-products ranging from foods and health supplements to
skin care.
With the late-2024 release of the New South Wales Seaweed Prospectus projecting multi-billion-dollar industry and regional development potential, Manildra Group and Venus Shell Systems founder Dr Pia Winberg are advancing the sustainable enterprise model to commercial scale, developing Australia’s first fully scaled seaweed operation to repurpose waste nutrients into premium products.
Our circularly integrated model of regenerative farming and advanced manufacturing strengthens systemic resilience across value chains – from replacing antibiotics in aquafeeds and supporting animal gut health, to developing dietary supplements for iron deficiencies and anti-inflammatory foods like PhycoHealth pasta, corn chips, and muesli.
This approach supports a new era of sustainable food production that addresses environmental challenges while adding value through protein-rich superfoods, medical biomaterials, and climate-friendly consumer products.
The industry-leading platform for sustainable biomaterials and nutrition also reduces
production impacts associated with land limitations, water scarcity, drought intensity and
synthetic fertilisers.
