Regenerative hemp farming offers hope for a brighter future. Hemp
will be a key crop in any realistic drive for environmental
sustainability.Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, there has
been a massive increase in hemp cultivation in the United States.
Thousands of farms have planted their first crop of hemp.
Farmers are using the opportunity to grow hemp using the
principles of Regenerative Agriculture, as hemp is a well-suited
crop for it. Without the use of herbicides and pesticides, hemp
farms become havens for pollinators like bees,
small birds and animals.
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Nine reasons hemp is an important
crop in Regenerative Agriculture
1. DEEP ROOTS.
This reduces the erosion and loosens the soil for
future crop rotation.
2. BIOMASS.
Some hemp biomass will be harvested for over 50,000
products.Some biomass will return to the soil and decompose,
feeding nutrients back into the soil.
3. FAST GROWING.
Hemp grows quickly making it an excellent ground cover,
blocking out room for weeds.
4. MARKET VALUE.
Hemp has a relatively
high market value, a 'win-win' for both
the farmer and the soil and the air.
By 2022, it was expected to be a $22 billion market.
5. CO2 REMOVAL
For every ton of hemp grown, 1.63 tons of CO2 is removed.
Hemp is ideal for carbon sequestration.
6. LOW WATER CONSUMPTION.
Hemp is a hardy plant,needing much less water than most crops.
Food and agriculture are the largest consumers of water,
much more than any personal use.
Up to 70% of water taken from the ground and rivers goes into the
irrigation of agriculture commodities.
This threatens to dry up the entire ecosystem.
Something must change.
Low water usage crops are essential in
ecologically sustainable farming.
Hemp is one of the solutions.
7. A NEW GREEN FUTURE
Regeneratively grown hemp offers humanity a beautiful and new
future. Only a decade ago hemp farming became legal. In the first
season since the 2018 Farm Bill passed,
230,000 acres of hemp were planted.
8. DIVERSE APPLICATIONS.
There are over 50,000 known uses and
applications for hemp. Medicines, food,
biofuels, fiber, building materials, paper,
textiles, clothing and a viable
replacement for plastic.
9. PHYTO-REMEDIATION.
Hemp can grow easily in contaminated
soil, absorbing heavy metals and toxins
into the plant themselves.
