Hemp Food + Fiber
Plant-Based Protein
By 2027, the plant-based food market is expected to reach a value of $74.2 billion. Industrial hemp grain is the quintessential plant-based ingredient of the future. The seed from the industrial hemp plant contains two essential fatty acids. One is alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. The other is linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. Humans must obtain these essential fatty acids from our diet. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted hulled hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder, and hemp seed oil with “Generally Recognized As Safe” status.
More and more food manufacturers and major big box stores are incorporating plant-based foods into their products. As we move toward a plant-based future, International Hemp is partnering with food manufacturers to spur continued growth of the North American hemp grain market. It is important to keep educating and advocating big food manufacturers to incorporate hemp grain into their products. For the benefit of farmers, the soil, our health, and our planet's health - hemp is the answer 🌱
Animal Feed
Hemp industry stakeholders are banking on the approval of hemp grain ingredients. A 2019 Farm Journal survey of 950 U.S. farmers and ranchers found 60% of respondents agreeing that farmers should grow hemp for animal feed, while 48% agreed that they would use hemp for animal feed themselves. Approval of hemp for the animal feed market would greatly broaden the total addressable market for hemp producers. In 2019, the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) found that major species of livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and pets in the United States consumed approximately 284 million tons of feed, with a value of $59.9 billion. The relative price and robust nutritional profile of hemp grain make it an increasingly cost-competitive commodity.
In February 2021, the Hemp Feed Coalition (HFC) completed its first submission for hemp to become an approved animal-feed ingredient. The Association of American Feed Control Officials and the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine are currently reviewing research that would approve industrial hemp grain as an animal-feed ingredient. International Hemp has partnered with HFC to provide hemp seed for clinical feed trials through university research programs.
Sustainable Natural Fiber
Fiber is one of the most valuable parts of the industrial hemp plant. Hemp fiber can be used as a woven or non-woven material. While the hemp fiber supply chain has been slowest to develop during the years following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, regional processing infrastructure and investment capital have been spurred by myriad end-uses of hurd and bast fibers from the stalk of the industrial hemp plant.
In 2020, the size of the global eco fiber market was estimated to be worth $44.38 billion. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% to reach $58.29 billion by 2027.
The first wave of hemp-fiber products will be manufactured using hurd - the short fibers of the hemp stalk’s inner core - and require the lowest processing requirements. These include applications like animal bedding, absorbents, flooring, and insulation. As production techniques and processing advance, both the quality and breadth of material grades will increase. The second wave will feature include construction materials, paper, and bioplastics.
As the U.S. hemp fiber supply chain matures, there will be products manufactured in American using the bast fibers - long fibers located on the outer hemp stalk - that will include a wide range of cellulose, industrial and consumer woven textiles, clothing, and automotive components at competitive prices compared to synthetic or other natural fibers. International Hemp is partnering with manufacturers of industrial fibers to spur continued investment in U.S. hemp fiber processing and growth of the domestic supply chain for hemp-based wood and petroleum-based plastic alternatives.
The stalk of the hemp plant is mainly composed of carbon. Products manufactured from hemp fiber permanently capture carbon, opening additional value through carbon credit trading markets.
Industrial hemp has countless applications as a sustainable fiber that will help lower the human carbon footprint. It's time to spur the widespread adoption of hemp as a regenerative and renewable source of industrial fiber 🌱