2023 Starts with a Bang: Event at the UN Headquarters in Geneva to Discuss Hemp Worldwide

By Lorenzo Rolim

I am proud to have been invited to participate in the UNCTAD event in Geneva on January 16. A groundbreaking event for the industrial hemp sector. I will also have the honor of representing the Latin American Industrial Hemp Association (LAIHA) at this important event. I never imagined that all my years of work, often fruitless, trying to convince the Brazilian government of the importance of industrial hemp since 2016, would result in being present at the first event dedicated to hemp within the UN headquarters in Geneva.

My goal at the workshop is to present LAIHA's vision of the sector and its potential to promote sustainable development. I will also discuss the unique challenges faced by the region in developing the industry and the opportunities it presents.

Among the topics I am eager to discuss are how to better leverage the potential and opportunities of the industrial hemp industry, ways to ensure the sustainability of the industry, and strategies to create a more equitable and inclusive market. Additionally, of course, to demand greater clarity from the UN on international rules to allow hemp to be integrated into various sectors of the economy.

I see this event as an opportunity to showcase the potential of the Latin American industrial hemp industry and help shape its global development. The workshop is part of UNCTAD's efforts to explore the potential of industrial hemp for economic development and its impact on global markets, and I am excited to be part of this important step forward, the first time the UN brings the topic in-house and convenes experts from around the world to discuss the best ways to move forward with our beloved industry.

It is an excellent moment for us to reflect on how much our struggle over the past years has yielded results far beyond what we sometimes imagined. It is time for all of us to unite even more around the ultimate goal, which is to have hemp once again as an agricultural commodity like any other, planted in every country in the world, and continually improving the quality of life for all those involved with it.

I am confident that this event will be a great success and contribute to the growth and development of the industrial hemp industry as a whole. I hope it will be a catalyst for more events of this kind and bring together experts from around the world to further explore this potential.

I am very honored to be able to collaborate with my colleagues from around the world and help shape the future of the industrial hemp industry!

About the author:

Lorenzo Rolim da Silva is an Agronomist and president of LAIHA (Latin American Industrial Hemp Association).

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