Initiative to consolidate the global hemp industry is launched
Organizations from around the world are coming together to form an international association to promote the interests of the hemp industry
Curation and editing by Sechat Content, with information from Hemptoday
The new body, still unnamed, will work to establish industry development priorities and officially represent hemp stakeholders to global intergovernmental agencies, with the main goal of removing hemp and hemp extracts from the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, said Daniel Kruse, President of the European Industrial Hemp Association and one of the initiators of the global effort.
The group intends to interface with international agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Narcotics Committee, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on matters related to internationally recognized standards for food production and safety.
The association will also work on environmental issues and represent the hemp industry to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is part of the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization.
Objectives
According to an initial document outlining the group's mission, the new organization will advocate for a diverse and robust hemp industry that benefits all stakeholders along the value chain.
The international association can promote engagement in multilateral relations, advance the industry agenda, statistical programs, partnerships, trade, and global regulation. This will enhance substantive engagement between the hemp sector and, as a result, benefit everyone, globally and nationally.
Daniel Kruse
A wide range of issues and challenges can also be addressed by the new association based on hemp's potential to mitigate climate change and advance sustainable development, he said.
Other supporters
Founding members from around the world have expressed their enthusiasm for the project.
Lorenzo Rolim, President of the Latin American Industrial Hemp Association, comments that "the organizations coming together to form this new global initiative are made up of some of the most experienced and high-level professionals in the sector."
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Our goal is to create a world where hemp is truly integrated into various other industries and agriculture worldwide
Lorenzo Rolim
"We look forward to joining this visionary mission to consolidate and strengthen cooperation for the development of the hemp industry globally," said Anar Artur, from the Mongolian Hemp Association.
First funds raised
A fundraising round among several national associations has already been completed, and the group has appointed Emerging Ag, a communications and public relations consultancy boutique based in Manitoba, as the project facilitator.
Emerging Ag already works with international organizations on global policy issues in the agriculture, food, and health sectors. The company serves as the secretariat of the International Agri-Food Network, which coordinates policy recommendations consultations to the World Food Security Committee.
Kruse also emphasizes that the new global association is considering the establishment of a parallel technical association that would publish an international hemp research journal and create a peer-review network. This would fill a current gap where research conducted on hemp and its multiple applications is not comprehensively compiled.
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Participating Federations
The working group initiating the project includes representatives from:
Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance; Mongolian Hemp Association; Australian Hemp Association; European Industrial Hemp Association; Hokkaido Industrial Hemp Association; China Hemp Alliance; Latin American Industrial Hemp Association; Friends of Hemp (South Africa); Industrial Hemp Chamber of Paraguay (CCIP); Uttarakhand Hemp Association (India); and the Indian Industrial Hemp Association.
From the USA: American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp; Texas Hemp Growers Association; Oregon Hemp Association; National Hemp Association; Hemp Industries Association; National Industrial Hemp Council; Kentucky Hemp Industries Association; Hemp Feed Coalition.