International development: Tanzanians use seaweed to ease poverty

The Houston Chronicle reports that seaweed is helping villagers in Tanzania, free themselves from poverty and, "has improved the lives of women in ways they never thought possible."

Companies in the West use seaweed as an additive in processed meat, toothpaste, mascara, beer and other products.

"In Tanzania, farmers harvest seaweed every two months, earning about $500 per family. That is equivalent to six months of work for fishermen, said Jeremiah Daffa of the Tanzania Coastal Management Partnership, a U.S.-funded initiative to promote coastal development and improve quality of life among inhabitants."

Full story Houston Chronicle