Speaker

About the speaker: 

Sarah Carpenter is a Lecturer and researcher at Goldsmiths, University of London, specialising in sustainable supply chains, material innovation, and alternative economic models across fashion, food, and wellness sectors. With over 20 years of industry experience, her work explores how production systems can be reconfigured through circular, regenerative, and community-led approaches.

Her current research focuses on coastal livelihoods and blue economy innovation across the UK, Kenya, and the Global South, integrating community-led enterprise with emerging value chains such as seaweed and biomaterials. She has presented at international conferences including the ISSE Degrowth Conference and WIMOSA, and has contributed to UK Parliament discussions on sustainable supply chains and materials innovation.

Company info:

Goldsmiths, University of London is a leading UK institution recognised for its interdisciplinary research and critical approaches to social, cultural, and environmental challenges. The university supports innovative research that connects academic insight with real-world impact, particularly in sustainability, creative industries, and social change.

Presentation: 

This presentation introduces a hybrid coastal enterprise framework designed to support community-led participation in emerging seaweed value chains across the UK, Kenya, and the Global South. As global demand for seaweed expands across food systems, biomaterials, and climate solutions, the framework explores how coastal communities can engage in sustainable production without displacing existing livelihoods or ecological knowledge.

Drawing on ongoing work with coastal communities in Kenya, alongside broader research into coastal livelihoods and supply chains in the UK and Global South contexts, the model integrates seaweed cultivation with existing activities such as fisheries and community-based initiatives. It highlights how hybrid roles can reduce entry risk, diversify income, and create scalable pathways into the blue economy.

The presentation also considers how such models align with wider debates on sustainable development, inclusive growth, and alternative economic systems, offering a transferable approach for linking local livelihoods with global supply chains.