FedEx Express (FedEx) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, is collaborating with a non-profit to provide training to seaweed farmers on sustainability and global trade.

To help expand business possibilities for the seaweed farmers in Sabu Raijua Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, FedEx volunteers provided training on the basics of digital marketing, cross border e-commerce, and proper export processes for seaweed products.

This is the second collaboration between FedEx and Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), a scientific-based non-profit organization whose mission is to protect land and water areas as a life support system through effective natural resource management, promoting a non-confrontational approach, and building a network of partnerships with all stakeholders for a sustainable Indonesia. This year-long FedEx Cares program will benefit more than 1,500 communities of seaweed farmers.

“Sustainable use of marine resources is vital for the Sabu Raijua community. To elevate the regency’s economic profile, there needs to be a balance between stepping back to restore harmony to the ocean’s ecosystem while moving forward with digital innovations that will fuel their foray into global trade,” said Garrick Thompson, Managing Director, FedEx Express Indonesia. “With our expansive global and intra-regional network that connects the vast majority of the world’s gross domestic product, we are thrilled to share our decades-long expertise with the Sabu Raijua community by helping local seaweed farmers access markets beyond Indonesia,” added Garrick.

The Sabu Raijua regency, comprised of three islands on the Savu seas, depends largely on seaweed cultivation to sustain their livelihood. One of the major challenges faced by the community is continuous seaweed cultivation while conserving their marine resources. The program aims at improving their environment by advocating ecological and sustainable approach to seaweed farming.

“Implementation of sustainable seaweed cultivation practices is a solution to balance the community’s ecological and economic needs. In practice, seaweed farmers no longer use plastic, cut down mangroves, seagrass beds, and damage coral reefs in coastal areas to make land for cultivation. Not only does this improve the quality of cultivated products, but this method simultaneously maintains coastal ecosystems in a sustainable manner which provides wider benefits to local communities and the preservation of marine biota,” said Ratih Loekito, Director of Development and Marketing, YKAN.