Short Bio

Niva Tadmor-Shalev’s domain of expertise includes circular economics and techno-economic analysis of marine seaweed aquaculture, which encompasses the whole value chain from cultivation through harvesting to processing, with respect to the ecosystem services valuation and external cost and price modeling. Previously, as expert on the development of innovative and advanced management tools, she consulted and served as an adviser for more than 15 years to many technology firms. She was also the founder of OLGANOL LTD, a startup company that developed a cutting edge methodology to transform marine macroalgae biomass into Biofuel compounds. Currently, she is a PhD student at the department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management at the University of Haifa, where she received the Dean’s Cum Laude Graduation honor.  She also holds an MA in Industrial Management from Bar-Ilan University.

Abstract- Cost benefit analysis of protein production from the seaweed Gracilaria (rhodophyta), and modeling its future price – Israel as a case study

There is a growing interest in the production of protein from seaweeds cultivated both in land-based and offshore farms. Seaweed protein is considered a novel, high quality and sustainable protein source and can provide the nutrition needs for the growing population while becoming an alternative to current terrestrial protein sources (both animal and crops).  In the next three decades the demand for protein in Israel is expected to increase by more than 70%.  Agricultural land and fresh water are in shortage in Israel and local protein production from terrestrial animal and crops to meet the future protein demands may not suffice on the long-run. To explore the economic viability of producing protein in Israel from seaweeds at commercial scale, different economic assessment methods were used with respect to the seaweed farmer and society perspectives.

This study aims to estimate the costs and benefits associated with protein production and food provisioning from seaweed feedstock cultivated in the Israeli Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Mediterranean Sea and processed in a specially designed biorefinery plant. The study also analyzed the economic potential of seaweed to meet the future protein demand of the Israeli adult population (ages 20+), based on future price simulation. The capitalized costs and benefits which encompassed the protein production value chain (cultivation, harvesting and processing) were summed and included also ecosystem services valuation and external costs. A sensitivity analysis was performed, estimating NPV performance as a function of changes in biomass yield (ton FW/km-2/y-1), varying volumes (ton/y-1) of isolated protein production based on protein content variation (g/100g DW) in the biomass; and varying market prices (€/kg) of isolated protein.