Case study: The Seaweed Alliance
Lead Partner: David Clubb
Securing Social Licence to Operate for seaweed cultivation in Wales
Client: The Seaweed Alliance
Sector: Trade body
Introduction
Afallen’s experience with social value and stakeholder engagement was crucial to understanding how a nascent seaweed cultivation industry in Wales can best secure buy-in from local people and communities.
The brief
The Seaweed Alliance wanted to create a coordinated approach to supporting the seaweed sector in Wales, with Afallen undertaking research from existing sectors such as offshore wind and fish farming, to set out what should be done to ensure support from local communities for new seaweed cultivation.
The solution
We researched existing practice – both good and bad – from the literature in order to understand what has been effective for existing seaweed farms, or from fish farms or offshore wind development.
We supplemented this academic approach with extensive engagement with key stakeholders in Wales and beyond; and by using an online survey to try to capture views of people who might be impacted by seaweed cultivation development in the future.
Afallen’s contribution was one of four components of the overall project. You can view the project website here; and Afallen’s report here.
Testimonial
“As Project Mangers for Project Madoc, we found David and the team always willing to take on-board our comments and suggestions for ways of enhancing their reports. We were especially impressed by their sincerity and depth of knowledge and understanding of the Welsh socio-economic context of the work at hand.”
The Seaweed Alliance