Speaker

About the speaker: 

In a career spanning two decades, Nick has established himself as a proven leader in supply chain disruption and innovation. As Co-founder & CEO of Coast 4C, a 2024 Earthshot Prize Finalist, Nick has built a company that is working with smallholder farmers to future proof the supply of quality, responsible seaweed, ensuring that processors can secure reliable access to the raw ingredients needed to scale their businesses. Nick’s experience includes co-founding the highly acclaimed Net-Works(TM) initiative that diverted end-of-life fishing nets into fashion and flooring. Nick’s success comes through a strong understanding of the livelihoods of smallholder producers, following his PhD in this subject two decades ago, paired with deep sectoral knowledge.

Company info:

Coast 4C, a 2024 Earthshot Prize Finalist, works with smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia to future proof the supply of quality, responsible seaweed to decarbonise food, feed, fertiliser and plastic value chains. Seaweed farms in Southeast Asia are underproductive, underutilised and unsustainable, creating challenges for processors seeking a consistent supply of quality seaweed to meet growing market demand. Coast 4C aggregate smallholder farmers and provide input, market and technical support to help solve this challenge. Our model provides improved livelihood opportunities, particularly for women, that incentivises and catalyses a 45x increase in protection of blue carbon habitats. 

Presentation:

Nick will present on the GROW farm input package that Coast 4C have developed and how this empowers smallholder producers to provide a 6-10x uplift in production per farmer and the associated benefits for farmers and the industry alike.