Sea Forest CEO Sam Elsom is Tasmania's 2025 Australian of the Year.
A climate solutions innovator who has commercialised a new way to reduce methane emissions from livestock is Tasmania’s 2025 Australian of the Year.
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Sam Elsom, 43, founded Sea Forest, one of the first start-ups to turn asparagopsis, a native Australian red species of seaweed, into a livestock feed supplement.
The award was announced at a ceremony at Princes Wharf in Hobart on Wednesday, November 6, along with other category winners.
Tasmania’s Deputy Premier Guy Barnett said he loved to see Tasmanians who exhibit the quiet pursuit of the extraordinary and “put our great state on the map”.
Mr Elsom said he was honoured to receive this recognition.
“I hope to use the platform to advocate for climate action and drive positive outcomes for the environment, agriculture and farmers.”
Founded by Mr Elsom in 2018, and situated on a 1800-hectare marine lease at Triabunna on the state’s south-east coast, Sea Forest was the first company in the world to develop and manufacture a feed supplement based on the native red Australian seaweed, asparagopsis.
It was also the first company in the world to farm asparagopsis in commercial quantities.
A company statement said peer-reviewed studies have shown that adding a teaspoon per day of Sea Forest’s proprietary supplement, SeaFeed, to an animal’s regular diet can reduce the amount of methane each animal produces by up to 90 per cent.
The same studies show the resulting beef is safe to eat and has the same taste and texture as ordinary beef.
Feed additives with methane-inhibiting properties have the potential to reduce emissions and assist the Australian red meat industry meet its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
Sam Elsom from Sea Forest has produced a feed supplement based on the native red Australian seaweed, asparagopsis, which reduces methane emissions in cattle.
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MONSTER CHILDREN CREATIVE
Sea Forest is collaborating with a diverse range of consumer brands seeking to cut methane emissions, including Ashgrove Milk, burger chain Grill’d and clothing brand MJ Bale.
The company’s work is also receiving global recognition.
It was named as a finalist for the $1.9 million Earthshot Prize set up by Prince William and Sir David Attenborough; it is working with farmers in Africa to decarbonise their livestock; and it is aiding UK supermarket chain Morrisons in its drive to achieve net zero agriculture emissions from its directly supplied farms by 2030.
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