Southeast Conference (SEC) contracted with Food for Climate League (FCL) to provide market research services to advance the goal of unlocking industry growth potential and increasing demand for Alaska’s oyster and kelp food products. This project is part of Alaska Mariculture Cluster’s (AMC) Market Development grant component.

FCL’s initial market research (Task 1) was published on the AMC website in July 2024. This research contextualized human food markets for Alaska’s oysters and kelp and identified industry stakeholders, B2B challenges and opportunities, product narratives and applications, and consumption barriers and motivators.

FCL has now completed its substantive market research (Task 2), which is available for review using the links below. Note: additional research is currently underway, and these will be updated with insights from the B2B side once that research is complete by early 2025. The work is divided into Oyster and Kelp categories, each with a roadmap to growing the market and chapters focused on People, Place, Promotion, Product, and Price. Additional resources, including FCL’s source materials and literature review, are also available.

Market Research By Food for Climate League

Oysters

The resources below are an overview of the most promising path to creating a scaled market for food products from Alaska oysters, based on findings from various market research activities.

• Alaska Oyster Food Roadmap: Overview of chapters below
• People: Target audience for Alaska oysters
• Place: Promising B2C channels for market growth
• Promotion: Promising narratives, trusted voices, and consumer trends
• Product: Ingredient characterization
• Product: Landscape
• Product: Applications
• Price: Recommended B2C pricing strategy and positioning

Kelp

The resources below are an overview of the most promising path to creating a scaled market for food products from Alaska kelp, based on findings from various market research activities.

• Alaska Kelp Food Roadmap: Overview of chapters below
• People: Prioritized B2C audience for Alaska kelp
• Place: Promising B2C channels for market growth
• Promotion: Promising narratives, trusted voices, and consumer trends for B2C
• Product: Ingredient characterization
• Product: Landscape
• Product: Applications
• Price: Recommended B2C pricing strategy and positioning

Additional Resources

• Trends Research Deck
• Kelp Nutritional Literature Review by Food+Planet
• Concept Ideation & Value Propositions by Food+Planet
• Technical Feasibility Analysis by Doug Beacom
• Culinary Opportunities Map on Kumu
• Bibliography
• Market Research Agenda: Task 1 Deliverables (July 2024)

Other Market Development Projects

Currently, Alaska’s mariculture production is dominated by oysters and kelp sold into food-related markets. AMC stakeholders are also investing heavily in non-food markets, including cosmetics, animal feed, bio stimulants, packaging, textiles, and others. Research and development efforts are underway in these areas and future marketing efforts are expected to be conducted by AMC to support non-food marketing and market research. Interested parties are encouraged to visit AMC website for updates and attend meetings of the Alaska Marketing Stakeholder Committee, which has met five times to inform FCL’s and SEC’s marketing work. Email Dan Lesh at dan@seconference.org with questions about the stakeholder committee.

About Food for Climate League

FCL is a women-led 501c3 nonprofit working to make climate-smart food culture the norm. FCL uses narrative and behavioral sciences to connect nutritious and sustainable foods to people’s diverse needs, values, and cultures. They are a leader in researching and promoting sustainable aquatic foods, providing keen insights into the current narratives surrounding sea vegetables and bivalves and the potential of shifting these narratives to drive demand. With their expertise, a unique network of collaborators and partners, and proven track record in decoding consumer preferences and creating strategic narratives, FCL is an ideal partner for the AMC’s Market Development grant component projects.

Background

Southeast Conference (SEC) is the federally designated Economic Development District (EDD) for Southeast Alaska, as well as the state designated Alaska Regional Development Organization. SEC’s mission is to undertake and support activities that promote strong economies, sustainable communities, and a healthy environment in Southeast Alaska.

In September 2022, Southeast Conference was awarded a $49 million U.S. Economic Development Administration Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) to catalyze a viable and sustainable mariculture industry in Alaska, supporting the production of shellfish and seaweed, for the long-term benefit of the state’s economy, environment, and communities.

SEC leads the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) grant coalition, which includes members of Alaska’s mariculture industry, tribal organizations, regulatory agencies, university system, regional EDDs, trade organizations, and others. A Governance Body, composed of AMC coalition leaders and Tribal executives from each of the project regions, guides the grant’s work and equity metrics.

The AMC has complementary grant components designed to break down barriers and develop Alaska’s mariculture industry.  The Overarching Narrative, which explains how the grant components work together to grow the industry in an equitable and responsible manner. The full project period for the AMC BBBRC project is October 1, 2022 to September 30th, 2026.