YOUR NEW FAVORITE FEEL-GOOD SNACK (IT'S KELP)
Kelp our oceans by diving face-first into crunchy salty goodness!
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12 Tides is a team of ocean activists dedicated to transforming the food system into a force for good for our oceans, and they’re doing it via the world’s 1st regenerative kelp chip. They’re a BCorp, 1% for the planet partner, and mission-driven startup dedicated to filling our oceans with as much kelp as possible.
Kelp has superpowers. It can absorb 20x more carbon per acre than land-based forests (Harvard). It also lowers ocean acidification, increases marine life abundance, improves biodiversity, and betters water quality by removing toxins. The mere presence of kelp actually helps heal our oceans. How kelpful, right?
Their co-founder Pat used to work in the commercial fishing industry where he witnessed first-hand the negative impact these practices have on the oceans; he saw things like overfishing, coastline destruction, and pollution. As a conservationist, it didn’t sit well with him.. He’d heard whispers about “regenerative kelp farming” and took a trip to Maine to see what it was all about.
There he met Sarah, a seaweed farmer at Springtide Seaweed. She showed Pat that kelp farming has a net-positive impact on the environment. It’s a zero-input crop, meaning it requires no pesticides, no fertilizers, no arable land, no fresh water, and is inherently organic. Thanks to kelp’s superpowers, the water was pristine. The farm was healing the ocean from the inside out. Pat was hooked.
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He set out to create the most crave-worthy kelp product that would ignite the same love for kelp that now he had; he was determined to find a way to support Sarah and other independent kelp farmers. He partnered with a James Beard Finalist chef in San Francisco to create crispy, crunchy kelp chips. Seriously, each crunch is like setting an umami-bomb off in your mouth. Even better, it’s just as good for you as it is for our oceans! Kelp absorbs vitamins & minerals from the water, so it’s packed with nutrients like essential B vitamins, amino acids, and iodine. The chips are vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and certified organic. They’re also baked, never fried, and contain no added sugar!
In addition to supporting regenerative kelp farming communities, 12 Tides’ kelp snacks are also packed in industrially compostable packaging made of kraft paper, wood pulp, and compostable ink. Not only are these bags 100% plastic-free, but every bag sold supports kelp restoration in CA! California has lost up to 90% of its native kelp forests due to climate change, warming ocean temps, and a surge in purple sea urchins (who love eating kelp). 12 Tides partners with nonprofit SeaTrees to restore these kelp forests and, to date, has helped recover over 10,000 square feet so far. The next time you open a bag of kelp chips, keep in mind that you’re kelping our oceans too!
