In the early 90s, Luis Lombana had his eyes set on the financial management industry when he took up his master’s degree in Finance as a telecommunications engineer who came from a family of businessmen in the seaweed industry.
He was involved in complex modeling and analysis of the value of bank assets when an opportunity came to deepen his understanding in environmental issues. Little did Luis know that he will eventually end up promoting sustainable farming and SDG 14, and going back to his roots in the seaweed industry.
“My involvement in the green technology sector started sometime between the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the Kyoto Protocol complex process began. Carbon credits were considered as a new type of asset, with little knowledge on how to set a price and trade carbon credits. I found myself this time developing valuation techniques and methods for carbon credits,” relates Luis.
His experience in carbon credits got him involved with a group of investors, dealing with renewable energy, which opened his eyes to the significant links between agriculture and environmental problems.
“I became more aware about the impact of agriculture in the environment and the environmental problems linked to unsustainable practices, and how it is creating a tremendous imbalance in nature.”
‘Nutrialgae’ selected as UNDP Ocean Innovation, a proud moment
The first UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge (OIC) funded by Norad and Sida was launched in early 2020 in support of SDG 14.1 "Reduce Marine Pollution". The challenge sought innovative solutions to counter the scourge of ocean pollution, from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution. Eight innovators were selected from more than 600 concept proposals received from around the globe to test and scale-up their innovations for up to two years with contracts up to $250,000.
Nutrialgae is a novel suite of fertilizers and bio-stimulants based on sustainably harvested and organic-certified seaweeds. The Ocean Innovation Challenge support enabled startup Ficosterra to scientifically consolidate and confirm the viability of seaweeds in producing fertilizers that prevents nutrient pollution, improves crop yields, and improves profitability for farmers. Field and laboratory tests were conducted in Mexico and Morocco in partnership with esteemed academic and research institutions.
The widespread use of industrial fertilizers in agriculture has created a global pollution challenge. Synthetic fertilizers are quite high in nutrient content which is used to stimulate the rapid growth of plants. The use of relatively small amounts is already sufficient for productivity. However, chemical fertilizers lead to the degradation of soil structure that results in nutrient lost from soils through leaching and gas emission. Excess nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, run off from land and escape to the waterways and into the ocean.
While a healthy ocean sustains the delicate balance among a diverse marine life, provides valuable ecosystem services and regulates climate and reduces climate change impacts, the excess nutrient loads create havoc and lead to an overgrowth of algae that sinks and decomposes in the water. This consumes and depletes the water's natural supply of oxygen, consequently causing ‘dead zones’ that suffocate aquatic and marine life.
“Since my family’s business evolves in the seaweed industry, I have decided to try to combine both the worlds of seaweeds and farming. This is the reason I established Ficosterra in 2017,” Luis recalls.
Ficosterra is a marine biotechnology company that offers ecological solutions for conventional agriculture such as fertilizers and bio-stimulants based on sustainably harvested seaweeds.
The idea to use seaweed in agriculture as a non-disruptive fertilizer and stimulant is not a totally new concept. Some accounts on the early use of seaweed in agriculture date back to ancient Greek and Roman civilizations in the 2nd century and as far back to 5,000 years ago in northern European countries. Although it took quite a long while, seaweeds’ use in agriculture is becoming a trend in the global market because of its significant environmental and economic benefits.
With humble beginnings in a small village in Spain, Ficosterra expanded substantially since 2017, from having one product line to now four product lines and two operational facilities in Spain and Mexico. Yet, Luis considers having been selected as one of the first cohort of eight UNDP ocean innovators in 2020 as his biggest achievement at the moment.
“As a UNDP ocean innovator, I was able to promote environmentally-friendlier solutions to a wider audience, specifically regenerative agriculture and organic stimulation techniques to farming and food production that is based on nature.”
Converting farmers to “agents of change”
Luis recalls the challenges he encountered at the start of the OIC incubation, especially on having started the project in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, grappling with logistics and the need to meet face to face with the people in Morocco and Mexico, where his trials were taking place.
In the beginning, some farmers were hesitant to work with them in the field tests, thinking: ‘Here comes another guy again who is going to teach me how to do things differently.'
However, working closely with farmers on-the-ground has helped open their eyes to the problems and solution.
“The UNDP OIC support allowed us to engage farmers in the field tests, and in making them more aware of the nutrient pollution issue derived from farming. The workshops and seminars really opened their eyes to nature-based solutions that can increase their incomes. Giving them the opportunity to witness that personally helps them become agents of change.”
Eventually as the farmers saw the results, even those whose family has been in the business for three generations, they were convinced with the use of combined seaweed and microorganisms as an alternative to commercial fertilizers.
“They saw that it really works! That's the best part when you have evidence to convince them.”
Seeing sustainable solutions from entrepreneurial eyes
Everyone has a key role in sustainable development, and that includes the business sector.
For too long, integrating sustainable solutions was not seen to be good for business. But Luis believes, “There is no resisting it. Everything is pointing to that direction right now. The private sector will be obliged to follow sustainability rules because the market is driving them to follow customers’ demand for organic, sustainably harvested and sustainably produced food.”
Luis also acknowledges the critical role of the governments in promoting sustainable practices in both the supply and demand in the market, such as limiting the amount of chemical fertilizer use in agriculture. “Government regulations are prompting the industry to adapt to a more environment-friendly way of doing things. All players in the value chain will need to adapt to both the market’s demand and government regulations.”
Reflecting on what he has achieved, Luis is convinced that the problems on sustainability can be seen and appreciated through entrepreneurial lens, helping address it while trying to understand the huge opportunities that the situation presents.
“One can try to find and invest in innovative, bigger solutions and make a living out of it. In my previous jobs, I saw ways to combine both, to find that leverage, which got me to do something meaningful and satisfying at the same time.”
As Ficosterra reaches the successful completion of their pilot within the UNDP OIC programme by end of November 2022, Luis and his team are preparing full speed ahead in replicating the tried-and-tested Nutrialgae technology and methodology in other farming and coastal communities, and small island developing states.
See Luis Lombana and Ficosterra team's presentation on Nutrialgae and the benefits of Ficosterra's Triple Win Approach for farmers, consumers and the planet, and leading global expert Prof. Mark Sutton encompassing overview on the key challenges and opportunities that face nutrient management. Watch Ficosterra's capstone event now.
© 2026 UNDP Water and Ocean Programme
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