Originally published September 17, 2021

This is an interesting article from one of my favorite countries Dominica which is a small island and former British colony in the Caribbean. The article is about a community-led sea moss production enterprise in Dominica. The source is Dominica News Online it was published on July 19, 2021.


Sea moss is a spiny sea vegetable that is a type of seaweed or algae. It is a renewable food source that grows primarily along the rocky coastlines of the north Atlantic Ocean. It is the natural source of carrageenan. You may have seen this natural thickening agent in your nondairy milk or ice cream. It is high in iodine and antioxidants. Like chia it has recently been used in health supplements.


In Dominica the small eight member Wooty Seamoss group was recently formed in collaboration with the Fisheries Division. Under the leadership of proprietor John Robin and group leader Wilson Honore they teach young, unemployed single mothers the sea moss industry. This provides a steady source of income as there is a harvest every six weeks.


This small-scale business model can be quite lucrative. A recent check of dried sea moss retail pricing had it listed for approximately $4 USD/ounce or $14 USD/100 grams. There are many countries in the Atlantic Ocean basin where this growing, harvesting, and processing business model can be applied. I have been to Dominica and aspects of their culture that stood out were small scale eco-tourism and the desire to be self-sufficient through household and local food production.


Could the small country of Dominica provide a model for food self-sufficiency and micro business that could be applied to your community? Micro farming of high value crops may be a viable method of helping impoverished communities. For example, oyster mushrooms are easy to grow and a recent check on prices had fresh, organic ones selling for $17.50 USD/lb. ($3.85 USD/100 grams). Saffron, a spice derived from a variety of crocus flowers, by weight is more expensive than buying gold. It takes thousands of flowers to get any appreciable amount of saffron. It is not difficult nor expensive to grow the plants, but it does take patience to harvest the saffron. Starter costs for any micro-farm would likely include capital to purchase greenhouses (consider grant funding) and land (consider using tax foreclosed lots in the inner city). This type of venture may be done by an enterprising group of citizens, organized groups, such as clubs, or religious institutions with their parishioners.


Photo by Dennis Leinarts on Pexels.