European hemp

All these fabrics are made from European hemp, grown in Europe and processed in the European Union. The importance of hemp in the EU is growing, however mostly for CBD products and less for making textiles. Nevertheless it may be considered as a good development because:

• Hemp is a champion in CO2 storage. One hectare of hemp sequesters 9-15 tons of CO², just as much as a young forest. But hemp only takes five months to grow.
• Hemp helps to break the cycle of plant diseases when used in crop rotation
• Hemp helps to prevent soil erosion and reduces water loss
• Hemp contributes to a greater biodiversity
• Hemp can be grown with little or no use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.

Hemp could also become important again in the future textile industry. The benefits of hemp textiles become ever more clear and have been discovered by many users. However, most of the infrastructure that is needed for producing hemp textiles has vanished in Europe. Now, the European Commission has drawn up an action plan for a circular economy in which the textile sector is seen as crucial. This includes making textile production more sustainable and making the European textile industry more competitive. In other words: the European textile industry must soon be able to compete again with those in other parts of the world, including Asia. And it has to be sustainable, so using natural fibers that are produced in Europe. More about Hemp textiles and the EU can be read here.