Iran is beginning to transform water scarcity into an economic opportunity, as investment in saltwater agriculture, microalgae cultivation and specialized aquaculture creates new sources of food, industrial materials and export revenue.

From commercial Spirulina farms along the Bushehr coastline to research into salt-tolerant crops and domestic shrimp-feed production, a new economic model is emerging around marine resources and saline environments.

The shift reflects a broader reassessment of Iran's agricultural potential, particularly as freshwater shortages, declining soil productivity and growing food-security pressures increasingly challenge conventional farming systems and production methods.

Speaking at the World Food Day conference on Tuesday, Ali Abdolalizadeh, the presidential representative for maritime development, called for agricultural production to move beyond dependence on freshwater and fertile land.

Abdolalizadeh identified seawater and saline environments as underutilized economic resources, stating that future food production requires technologies capable of expanding agricultural activity beyond traditional freshwater-dependent systems and geographical limitations.

He highlighted research into salt-tolerant wheat around Lake Urmia, where reported yields exceeded 15 tonnes per hectare, alongside University of Tehran studies examining Salicornia cultivation using saline water.

He also identified the approximately 91,500-square-kilometre Makran region as a strategic location for developing saltwater agriculture, offering researchers access to land and facilities for commercialization and industrial production.

Spirulina cultivation represents one of Iran's most advanced commercial applications of the saltwater economy, particularly in Bushehr, where specialized production facilities are establishing a domestic microalgae industry.

Rich in protein and commercially valuable compounds, Spirulina serves food manufacturing, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and aquaculture feed, creating opportunities across several interconnected industrial markets and domestic supply chains.

Six production workshops in Bushehr reportedly manufactured 132 tonnes of algal paste during the previous year, while a seventh facility subsequently expanded the province's production network and industrial capacity.

A newer facility in Dashtestan, established through approximately 310.3 billion rials in investment, initially targets three tonnes of monthly production, with expansion plans increasing capacity to twelve tonnes.

Another operation in Eshkali, Tangestan, has entered production with annual capacity exceeding twenty tonnes, converting an existing agricultural greenhouse into a specialized microalgae cultivation and processing facility.

National algal paste production reportedly reached 461.5 tonnes by the end of Iranian year 1404, although the difference between 112 registered hectares and 3.2 actively cultivated hectares remains significant.

The Fisheries Organization estimates that exporting 77 tonnes of dried Spirulina powder annually, at a minimum price of $20 per kilogram, could generate approximately $1.54 million in potential export revenue.

Beyond exports, domestic production could reduce dependence on imported feed ingredients, particularly for aquaculture operations requiring specialized nutritional inputs during sensitive shrimp larval development stages and hatchery production cycles.

The expansion of processing facilities could also create additional employment in packaging, quality control, transportation and distribution, strengthening the economic contribution of microalgae beyond primary cultivation and raw-material production.

Salicornia offers another opportunity to expand agricultural production into environments unsuitable for many conventional crops, with potential applications spanning food products, vegetable oils, pharmaceuticals and industrial materials.

Iranian research institutions have investigated native varieties across Bushehr, Hormozgan, Fars, Khuzestan and central provinces, examining their productivity under different saline irrigation conditions and environmental circumstances.

Some studies report seed oil content between 30 and 40 percent, positioning Salicornia as a potential alternative source of vegetable oil and commercially valuable industrial raw materials.

Field trials involving Salicornia bigelovii and Salicornia persica recorded approximately 1.9 and 1.5 tonnes per hectare respectively under irrigation with water measuring 15 decisiemens per meter salinity.

The government's interest in expanding cultivation across Makran could help move these research findings towards commercial farming, although processing infrastructure, seed development and harvesting technologies remain essential requirements.

Commercial development would potentially allow saline agricultural land to contribute to domestic food and industrial production, while creating additional income opportunities in regions facing increasing freshwater constraints.

Nereis worm cultivation represents a more specialized opportunity, targeting the nutritional requirements of shrimp hatcheries that depend on suitable live feed for broodstock maturation and reproductive performance.

Research published in 2024 identified six Nereididae family species in Bushehr's coastal waters, highlighting opportunities to develop domestic supplies of specialized marine organisms for aquaculture production.

The Fisheries Department has subsequently included Nereis cultivation in plans to diversify aquaculture activities and reduce dependence on imported supplies for the domestic shrimp industry.

The opportunity is supported by expanding shrimp production, which reportedly reached approximately 62,500 tonnes nationally during Iranian year 1404, representing annual growth of 37 per cent.

Developing domestic Nereis production could strengthen the aquaculture supply chain, connecting marine resource development with hatcheries, shrimp farms and downstream seafood processing businesses.

Together, Spirulina, Salicornia and Nereis demonstrate how Iran's marine resources are gradually supporting interconnected industries rather than remaining confined to conventional fisheries and agricultural activities.

Their development creates demand for processing facilities, specialized equipment, laboratories, packaging, transportation and skilled employment, potentially expanding economic participation across coastal communities and smaller businesses.

In Bushehr, cooperation between provincial fisheries authorities and the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation has also explored opportunities for lower-income households to participate in algae cultivation and aquaculture activities.

International experience provides additional context, with Abdolalizadeh citing Chinese offshore fish-farming platforms exceeding 7,000 tonnes in capacity, illustrating the industrial possibilities of advanced marine food production.

For Iran, however, the immediate challenge remains translating research and production capacity into commercially competitive industries supported by reliable markets, processing infrastructure and consistent long-term investment.

Spirulina requires expanded drying and packaging facilities, Salicornia needs established seed-development and oil-extraction industries, while Nereis cultivation requires dependable supplies for domestic shrimp hatcheries.

Iran's emerging saltwater economy is therefore moving beyond experimental research, with operating production facilities, measurable output and specialized investment providing foundations for a broader industrial transformation.

The longer-term objective is to diversify national production, reduce dependence on imported agricultural and industrial inputs, create coastal employment and generate additional export revenue through sustainable marine-resource development.