Seaweed farming in Zanzibar: Women at the heart of a blue revolution

Under the equatorial sun, women wade knee-deep in the turquoise waters off Paje beach, their colorful kangas rippling in the breeze. In their hands are baskets filled with seaweed — the marine algae that has quietly become one of Zanzibar’s biggest exports.

It’s an idyllic image that draws the lenses of curious tourists. Yet behind the postcard view lies back-breaking labor and growing environmental challenges.

“The main…