Team details

Team members

• VJ Genato
• Ramil Piloton
• Pepe Tubal
• Elayza Cataluña
• Cheryl Seno Advisors: Dr. Brian Von Herzen Brandon Hargraves
• 💡 Tip

Project details

Describe your product and your key goals

<aside> <img src="/icons/apple_blue.svg" alt="/icons/apple_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Describe your product The Aquaculture Group (TAG) and The Climate Foundation (CF) are partnering to establish a nature-positive, blue circular economy in post-conflict Zamboanga Del Sur, Philippines. We leverage the incredible potential of locally sourced red seaweed to create a high-value agricultural biostimulant called BIGrow, produced in our containerized biorefineries, bringing economic and environmental benefits to coastal communities and agricultural farmers across the Philippines. Biostimulants like BIGrow enhance crop yields, reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers, and improve soil health. They offer a sustainable solution for both seaweed farmers and agricultural communities by closing the loop between mariculture and land-based agriculture. BIGrow biostimulant has demonstrably improved crop yields by 15-30% in rice farming trials while reducing nitrate fertilizer use by over 20%. This translates to not only increased food security but also a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

</aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/bullseye_green.svg" alt="/icons/bullseye_green.svg" width="40px" /> What you want to achieve by March 2025

• Establish a fully operational containerized biorefinery in Dimataling, Zamboanga Del Sur.
• Conduct farming trials in multiple regions of the Philippines to demonstrate BIGrow’s efficacy across diverse agricultural contexts.
• Deliver cases of BIGrow Biostimulant and multiple demonstration cases to local farmers. </aside>

Describe what you need the most

<aside> <img src="/icons/bell-notification_pink.svg" alt="/icons/bell-notification_pink.svg" width="40px" /> Describe the kinds of help you need the most (funding, expertise, technology, access, etc).

• Capital investment: To expand our biostimulant production, scale operations, and expand our reach.
• Ag-Tech Sector Expertise and Partnerships: To collaborate on marketing and sales strategies for BIGrow biostimulants in the Philippine market.
• Access to markets and networks: To connect with offtakers, particularly in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors. </aside>

Describe your customers and the problem you are solving

<aside> <img src="/icons/brain_blue.svg" alt="/icons/brain_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Describe your target customers

• Seaweed growers
• Women in coastal communities
• Agricultural farmers </aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/emoji-disappointed_pink.svg" alt="/icons/emoji-disappointed_pink.svg" width="40px" /> What pain points are you trying to solve?

• Insufficient pathways to market keep seaweed growers disadvantaged
• Reduced productivity of seaweed growers due to environmental degradation
• Lack of income-generating opportunities in rural coastal communities, specifically for women
• Food insecurity exacerbated by climate change </aside>

Photos