The Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 1st - 3rd July, 2026

Sea & Soil

Brief overview

Sea & Soil (Redox Refinery Pte Ltd) is a Fiji-based climate-tech company advancing regenerative agriculture and circular bioeconomy solutions across the Pacific. Established in 2021, we convert locally sourced seaweed biomass and organic waste into high-value agricultural inputs, biochar, and environmental solutions. Our work supports over 3,700 farmers and operates through 60+ retail outlets nationwide. With over AUD $2.7M invested, including DFAT-supported programs, we focus on reducing chemical dependency, restoring soil health, and enabling climate-resilient livelihoods. Sea & Soil integrates science, indigenous knowledge, and scalable systems to transform agriculture into a low-carbon, regenerative economic sector.

Your organisation’s goals

Sea & Soil delivers integrated climate solutions across agriculture, waste management, and carbon systems. Our core services include the production of certified organic agricultural inputs derived from seaweed, fish waste, and biochar, reducing reliance on imported synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. These inputs improve soil carbon, increase crop yields, and enhance resilience to drought and extreme weather.

We operate a circular production model, converting coastal seaweed biomass and forestry by-products into biochar, which sequesters carbon, restores degraded soils, and reduces agricultural runoff impacting coral reef systems.

In parallel, we are developing a Carbon MRV (Measurement, Reporting, Verification) platform to quantify carbon sequestration and environmental impact at the farm level, enabling farmers to participate in emerging carbon markets.

Our services also include farmer training, women-led seaweed farming programs, and climate-smart agriculture extension, directly supporting inclusive economic development. This integrated approach positions Sea & Soil as a scalable platform for climate mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable rural livelihoods across Pacific Island Countries.

Describe your innovation

Sea & Soil’s flagship innovation is a Seaweed-to-Soil Circular Carbon System, integrating organic input production, biochar technology, and carbon measurement into a single scalable platform.

This system begins with the cultivation and harvesting of seaweed—an abundant, fast-growing marine resource that absorbs carbon and nutrients from coastal waters. The biomass is processed into liquid organic fertilizers and soil enhancers, replacing imported synthetic agrochemicals that degrade soil and contribute to emissions.

Simultaneously, we convert agricultural and forestry waste into biochar through controlled pyrolysis. This biochar is applied to soils, where it locks carbon for hundreds of years while improving water retention, nutrient efficiency, and microbial activity.

The innovation is completed through a digital Carbon MRV layer, which tracks carbon sequestration across multiple streams—seaweed cultivation, soil carbon increase, and biochar application—turning smallholder farms into measurable climate assets.

This solution directly addresses climate change by reducing emissions, sequestering carbon, and improving resilience to extreme weather. It is particularly relevant to Pacific Island Countries, where soil degradation, high input costs, and vulnerability to climate shocks threaten food security and livelihoods.

By using locally available resources and simple processing systems, the model reduces import dependency, creates rural employment (including women-led seaweed farming), and strengthens coastal and agricultural ecosystems.

The system has been piloted in Fiji and is designed for replication across island contexts where similar environmental and economic conditions exist.

How is this solution is innovative?

Sea & Soil’s solution is innovative because it integrates multiple climate interventions into a single, operational platform rather than treating them as separate initiatives. Unlike conventional agriculture or standalone carbon projects, our model combines organic input manufacturing, biochar carbon sequestration, and digital MRV into one system. The innovation lies in three areas: Resource Integration: Converting seaweed and organic waste into high-value products within a closed-loop system. Carbon Monetization: Enabling smallholder farmers to generate measurable carbon value through everyday farming practices. Pacific Adaptation: Designing technology specifically for island environments—low-cost, decentralized, and scalable without heavy infrastructure. This approach transforms agriculture from a cost center into a regenerative, revenue-generating climate solution, aligning environmental restoration with economic incentives.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs?

The Sea & Soil model is designed for rapid replication across Pacific Island Countries through a decentralized, partnership-driven approach.

Scaling will occur through:

Local production hubs: Establishing small-scale processing units for seaweed and biochar using locally available biomass.
Institutional partnerships: Collaborating with governments, NGOs, and regional bodies (e.g., SPREP, ministries of agriculture) for policy alignment and farmer outreach.

Private sector integration: Engaging distributors and cooperatives to expand market access.
Blended finance models: Combining grants (for capacity building and onboarding) with concessional loans and private investment for infrastructure expansion.

Capacity requirements are minimal, with training programs already developed for farmers, women’s groups, and local operators.

Because the system uses locally sourced inputs and simple processing technologies, it can be adapted to different island contexts with limited capital investment, making it highly scalable across PICTs.

How is the solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

Sea & Soil’s solution is highly cost-effective for end users, particularly smallholder farmers and rural communities.

Our organic inputs are competitively priced compared to imported chemical fertilizers, pesticides, weed control while delivering long-term cost savings through improved soil health and reduced input dependency. Products are concentrated (e.g., dilution ratios up to 1:300), making them affordable and accessible even for low-income farmers.

Biochar applications reduce fertilizer requirements over time, lowering ongoing costs while increasing yields and resilience.

The decentralized production model also reduces transportation and import costs, keeping pricing stable in remote island environments.

From a community perspective, the system generates additional income streams through seaweed farming, biomass collection, and participation in carbon markets.

This combination of low upfront cost, reduced recurring expenses, and income generation makes the solution economically viable and inclusive for Pacific Island contexts.

Locations (country, island, or community) where this solution has been piloted and/or implemented

The solution has been implemented across Fiji, including Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and coastal communities engaged in seaweed farming and agriculture. Pilot activities include farmer training programs, retail distribution across 60+ outlets, and community-based production systems involving women-led groups and smallholder farmers.

Learn more:

https://seasoilfj.com/

https://thebpp.com.au/partnership/sustainable-seaweed-production-in-fiji/. facebook.com/SeaSoilFJ

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute

About

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) is a science-led, community-driven initiative advancing marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable blue economy development in Vanuatu. Through its Havannah Harbour pilot, AVOI integrates Reef Ball deployment, artificial reef design, drone-enabled monitoring and workforce training via the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers. The model combines innovation and local stewardship to restore ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. By linking technology, community engagement and practical delivery, AVOI is developing a scalable national framework that helps translate ocean policy into measurable outcomes, creating jobs, building local capability and supporting long-term environmental resilience across island communities.

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) delivers integrated, science-led services focused on marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable environmental management. Its core services include the design and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems and managed vessel reefs to restore degraded marine habitats, enhance biodiversity and support fisheries recovery. AVOI also provides drone-enabled monitoring and survey services, using autonomous and manned systems to track climate impacts, support conservation planning and improve data-driven decision-making across marine and coastal environments.

A central component is the development of the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers program, which builds local workforce capability in restoration, monitoring, conservation and environmental stewardship. AVOI also supports Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, ecological baseline assessments and long-term monitoring frameworks aligned with national ocean policy objectives.

Through community engagement, eco-tourism integration and applied innovation, AVOI connects environmental protection with economic opportunity. Its Havannah Harbour pilot serves as a scalable model to deliver practical climate adaptation, strengthen ecosystem resilience and enable coordinated, whole-of-government environmental outcomes across Vanuatu.

The Innovation

One of AVOI’s key innovations is the integration of the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program with locally delivered marine restoration systems, including Reef Ball fabrication and deployment. This model combines workforce development, community engagement and practical restoration into a single, scalable framework designed for island environments.

Through structured Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camps, over a 3 day period AVOI identifies and trains local Ni-Vanuatu participants in marine conservation, Scientific diving, restoration techniques, monitoring and stewardship. One aspect of the Rangers responsibilities is to support the fabrication and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems using locally sourced materials and regional supply chains, significantly reducing costs and increasing local ownership. The approach enables degraded reef systems to be restored while simultaneously building in-country capability and employment pathways, guided by our National AVOI Play Book at its core.

This innovation directly addresses climate change by strengthening reef resilience, supporting fisheries recovery and enhancing coastal protection against storm surge and extreme weather events. It also improves ecosystem health, which is critical for food security and long-term adaptation in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

What makes this model particularly relevant for PICTs is its practicality and scalability. It does not rely on high-cost external inputs but instead builds local capacity, integrates customary stewardship and aligns with government policy frameworks. The system can be replicated across islands using a consistent training, deployment and governance approach.

Supported by drone-enabled monitoring and AI self learning data collection, AVOI’s model provides a cost-effective, community-led solution that connects restoration, climate resilience and sustainable economic opportunity in a way that is both locally grounded and nationally scalable.

How is this solution innovative?

AVOI’s solution is innovative because it integrates community workforce development, marine restoration and applied technology into a single, scalable delivery model tailored for island environments. Rather than treating conservation, employment and climate adaptation as separate challenges, AVOI combines them through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program and locally delivered Reef Ball restoration systems. This creates a practical pathway where communities are directly trained and employed to restore and monitor their own marine ecosystems. The model also incorporates drone-enabled monitoring and emerging AI-supported survey systems to improve data collection, ecological tracking and rapid response capability, including in remote and disaster-affected areas. This blend of low-cost, locally sourced restoration methods with advanced monitoring technology allows for both accessibility and scientific rigour. What makes the approach particularly innovative is its focus on scalability and replication. By developing a standardised training, deployment and governance framework, AVOI provides a repeatable model based on a National AVOI Play book that can be adapted across Pacific Island Countries, helping translate policy into measurable, community-led climate and environmental outcomes.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs

AVOI’s model is designed for replication across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) through a structured, partnership-driven and capacity-focused approach. Following an initial two-year proof-of-concept in Vanuatu, AVOI will develop a refined National PICT Playbook outlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS), delivered in both English and Bislama, with visual and pictorial elements to ensure accessibility across diverse communities.

Scaling will be enabled through institutional partnerships with government agencies, regional bodies, scientific partners such as UTS, and local stakeholders, supported by blended financing models including public-private partnerships, eco-tourism revenue streams and conservation funding.

A key component is the development of a simplified, citizen science-based survey framework focused on key indicator species. This approach lowers technical barriers, enabling participation from communities with varying levels of formal education while strengthening data collection and stewardship.

By combining local workforce training, accessible science, and standardised systems, AVOI creates a practical, low-cost model that can be adapted regionally, empowering communities while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable economic development across PICTs.

Is your solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

AVOI’s solution is designed to be highly cost-effective and affordable for communities, local governments and small operators across PICTs. A core principle of the model is the use of locally available materials, including aggregates from regional quarries and, where appropriate, surplus or repurposed government materials. This significantly reduces construction and deployment costs for Reef Ball systems and associated infrastructure.

From an end-user perspective, the model lowers financial barriers by building local capability through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camp Initiative and subsequent program, reducing reliance on external expertise and enabling communities to deliver and maintain restoration activities themselves. The integration of eco-tourism also creates revenue-generating opportunities that can help offset ongoing costs.

Affordability is further strengthened through the development of a streamlined cross-departmental approval pathway within the AVOI Playbook. By providing clear guidance on site selection, environmental considerations and standardised processes, local governments can reduce delays, duplication and administrative costs, enabling more efficient project delivery at scale.

Together, these elements create a low-cost, accessible and sustainable model that is practical for widespread adoption across PICTs.

Where is this being piloted?

AVOI’s solution is being piloted in Vanuatu, with Havannah Harbour (North-West Efate) identified as the primary proof-of-concept site, supported by a permanent operational and training hub at Lot 149, Lapita Estate. While over 1,000,000 Reef Balls have been deployed globally across more than 80 countries, this will be the first integrated deployment of this system in Vanuatu. The pilot combines initial baseline surveys across 12 regions using Reef Life Survey (RLS Methodology) prior to any deployments. Once 6 of the sites are selected for deployment we will deploy 50m x 10m of Reef Ball habitat restoration—designed as a 500+ year solution—, allowing us to. Continue to conduct 6 monthly replicated surveys in exactly the same 50m transects to demonstrate recruitment changes providing proof of concept. Together with the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program, which trains and employs local Ni-Vanuatu to deliver restoration, monitoring and stewardship, supported by drone-enabled surveying, community engagement and eco-tourism integration. The approach is intentionally holistic, linking marine restoration, climate resilience, workforce development, local supply chains and government coordination into a single, place-based model. The Havannah Harbour pilot will be used to refine systems, demonstrate measurable outcomes and establish a scalable framework for national and regional replication across PICTs, through the development of our AVOI National Playbook, helping guide replication across all our satellite sites. Initial training will be conducted through AVOI Headquarters in Havannah Harbour, with Ranger selection conducted through a multi-day conservation camp where participant will all leave with new knowledge and appreciation for the terrestrial and marine environment, and Ocean Rangers selected for employment within the AVOI team at the conclusion of the camps.