ACCELERATING THE BLUE ECONOMY: CAPACITY BUILDING FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN SUMBAWA THROUGH SEAWEED VALUE-CHAIN UPGRADING

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the largest seaweed producers globally, yet coastal communities in peripheral regions like Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, continue to face high poverty rates due to low-value raw material trading and fragmented supply chains. This international community service initiative aimed to accelerate the local blue economy by implementing an integrated capacity-building program centered on value-chain upgrading for seaweed farming groups. Operating in coastal villages across Sumbawa, the program engaged 5 seaweed farmers and local women's cooperatives. The methodology employed a participatory action framework consisting of three main phases: technological intervention for post-harvest drying, product diversification training (processing raw Eucheuma cottonii into semi-refined carrageenan and seaweed-based food alternatives), and digital market integration. The results showed a significant 42% increase in post-harvest product quality control compliance, minimizing waste caused by unpredictable weather. Product diversification training successfully enabled local cooperatives to manufacture commercialgrade seaweed snacks and organic fertilizer components, shifting their economic dependency from volatile raw material trading to value-added processing. Furthermore, household incomes among participating farmers increased by an average of 28.5% within four months post-intervention. In conclusion, upgrading the seaweed value chain through structured capacity building transforms vulnerable coastal actors into resilient blue economy participants, laying a foundation for sustainable resource management.