Suggested by 
Scott McIntyre
over 3 years ago
A century of extractive industrial, economic and political practices have left our planet a toxic mess----nutrient-depleted soils, microplastics found in glaciers and in pre-natal blood, life expectancies declining, domestic manufacturing base off-shored, global markets unstable.
Evidence shows that replacing toxic incumbent materials in dozens of polluting industries with regionally grown plant-based resources derived from regenerative agricultural practices will swiftly restore soil, air and water, build healthier industries and products, help create new jobs, insulate communities from global shifts and set a path to sustainability and prosperity for all.
Hemp is Earth's most versatile plant, has a 10,000-year record of healthy and productive uses, and every molecule of the hemp plant can be employed to create better, carbon-sequestering alternatives to toxic petroleum-based products.
Now is the time because the evidence of the myriad benefits from Regenerative Agriculture and Industrial Hemp have finally been brought to light since the Farm Bill of 2018 opened up hemp farming in the US.
Europe and Asia have ample supply and stable markets, seeing applications in products from textiles to construction to automotive panels and insulation.
We simply need a concerted effort in order pool resources, drive innovation to scale and finally break the grip of extractive, incumbent industries by providing them affordable and better quality materials.
Are you interested in addressing this Unmet Need?
Are you interested in addressing this Unmet Need?
Founder & CEO @ Sea Change Labs
Just came across this company: https://www.hempitecture.com/
I don't know the building materials space at all, but they got some good press from a NY state competition recently.
Founder & CEO @ Sea Change Labs
Love the ethos here- have you checked out Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum (RFSI)? They're doing some great work connecting operators with investors for a lot of regenerative ag projects and ideas.
The recurring theme I've picked up in my work and research is that there's a massive education hurdle to overcome here- with a significant amount of greenwashing by established players and diminishing attention spans, effectively communicating good vs. bad agricultural practices is a very large hill to climb, and each success is very quickly co-opted by the status quo. Even so there are a growing number of growers and processors and apparel options on the market.
But I think the main issue to quick mass adoption here might actually be the financial regulatory side of things- bc of the 0.3% THC limit (double check this is the correct number), a lot of banks and funding sources are very hesitant to lend / verify KYC requirements. Even though it's legal from a USDA stance to grow it, making sure you're growing hemp and not recreational marijuana takes a lot of expensive compliance infrastructure all for a-probably-not-that-profitable client account/ venture investment. The federal financial regulatory landscape for all cannabis plants might need to be the first domino here to scale anything.
Personally we're staying away from hemp growing at the moment for a few reasons. Mainly we're focusing more on crops at-risk of looming water crises, but the financial infrastructure side is definitely a non-starter for us as well.
That said, we're definitely all-in on decentralized, regenerative agriculture.
CEO/Co-Founder @ Rhiz
Former permaculture practitioner here, conceptualizing some ideas for this space, in fact.
Lots of it comes down to branding but each core solution has to be sustainable (no pun intended) w/r to margins, human benefit, etc lest it be a flash in the pan like Beyond Meat (health effects of seed oils, true env cost).
The time may be coming for hemp as far as local v. outsourced due to lowered shipping costs, hemp being less resource-intensive given the coming diesel issues, etc.
A breakthrough could be from a large clothing brand, let's say, that chooses a token product line to be made from hemp as a branding ploy and that could be the spark to help mass adoption.