Given the benefits to local ecosystems and carbon removal, why don’t we subsidize them the way we do wheat and beef and all sorts of things that have negative effects?

Speaking of carbon removal and beef, research has shown about 30% methane reduction if kelp is introduced into cows' diets.

https://www.fosters.com/news/20200107/unh-research-cows-fed-...

That's mostly because decomposing grass is the source of the methane, not cows. Cows just speed the process. But it's a lot harder to convince people that growing grass is bad for the environment than eating beef.

There seems to be a limit on how much konbu could be realistically consumed. And in Japan, they probably already hit that limit.

I mean it is definitely eaten, just not that much of it. And I doubt consumption could go considerably higher, even if the price were artificially lowered by subsidies.

Now as you say there may be other reasons to grow it, I don't know enough about it.

There are many other types of sea vegetables such as Nori, Spirulina, Dulse, Wakame, Chlorella, and many more. Spirulina in particular has an amazing nutritional profile.

And while you're right that the current market for these sea vegetables isn't massive, chefs are starting to work more and more with them which is shifting cultural acceptance.

Traditional seafood gets a lot of its "Fishyness" from the sea vegetables at the bottom of the ocean food chain. So you can create a lot of beloved seafood flavors just using sea vegetables. As ocean populations decline, traditional animal based seafood is going to get more and more expensive and I predict there will be a demand for a cheaper way to experience those flavors.

And as chefs get better at utilizing these ingredients and if more and more farmers and companies start to get involved with growing these plants, i'm sure industry marketing initiatives will ramp up just like you see ads from the "Peanut Growers Association".

Not all has to be consumed by humans though. I think the article said it can be turned into fertilizer and animal feed.

Biostimulants are even more sustainable economically...