I have been gathering up the courage to take a brisk leap, once again, shifting the business of fable inspired, eco lingerie, independent design. Research and development takes time. A zillion locomotives are onboard with the hopes of bringing opportunity to the United States. The alignment of fields in a row, planting the seeds, placement of hands in the dirt, and eventually coming up for a much desired sigh of relief. The plant Cannabis sativa has made a rejuvenated surge alongside the manufacturing industry.
I was first interested in hemp fabrics for lingerie around 2008. The price point was out of my league even though the stars in my eyes were bright as the moon. The next option quickly led a journey for upcycled materials. Jump forward to 2014, hemp farms are legalized in a couple of states, barring the hoops and red tape for those farms, and wham! bam! My heart and mind all aflutter for the prospect of what this means to us.
The samples have been ordered to take a closer look, choose wisely, support the growth of hemp farms, and actualize my love for our planet with the ascent of the hemp we dreamt. Upon the initial research, I found some outstanding tidbits of information on what will be seamed into the designs of Under The Root. Here is what I found in regards to the history and present day:
The Statesman
"First, lobbyists do not want to legalize cannabis because it would affect many industries: paper, fuel, clothing, pharmaceutical companies, etc. Second, most people are not aware of the difference between hemp and marijuana, primarily because of a misrepresentation in the media and a personal lack of interest in the issue."
Hemphasis
"But the laws of supply and demand were effectively thrown out the window starting in the 1930's when the market wrecking pogrom that is Reefer Madness was unleashed on an unsuspecting populace. Hemp's association with marijuana undoubtedly caused reluctance in farmers to grow it, while the bureaucratic red tape surrounding the enforcement of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 effectively regulated the hemp industry out of existence, destroying a huge money market in the process!"
Hempethics
The
weaving of hemp fabrics is one of the world’s oldest industries, and
soon will be the only sustainable path left for our future. Our
ancestors used hemp 10,000 years ago because of its extremely high fibre
content and multiple uses. By planting hemp instead of cotton today, we
can produce 250% more fiber on the same amount of land. Since hemp is
resistant to insects and diseases, it requires no pesticides. By way of
contrast, non-organic cotton growers are responsible for over 50% of
world pesticide use. Since non-organic cotton is often rotated with
certain food crops, toxic pesticides build up and find their way into
our meals. Run-off from non-organic cotton fields further pollutes
streams, lakes, and all the creatures that depend on them. - See more
at: http://nomadshempwear.com/about-hemp/#sthash.H05StdGB.dpuf
"It is unfortunate that the federal government has
stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling
to make ends meet, from competing in the global industrial hemp market,"
said Representative Ron Paul during his introduction of the bill
yesterday before the U.S. House. "Indeed, the founders of our nation,
some of whom grew hemp, would surely find that federal restrictions on
farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are
inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained
federal government. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to stand up for
American farmers and co-sponsor the Industrial Hemp Farming Act,"
Huffington Post
"Twenty-three states have now enacted pro-industrial hemp legislation (Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the latest bill this past week), making the cousin crop to marijuana a national phenomenon. Since the beginning of the year, more than 70 bills related to hemp have been introduced in more than half of the country's states. Passage of the recent Farm Bill, which legalized the crop for research purposes, further cleared the way for industrial hemp production."
The quotes and links above merely scratch the surface of the importance that revolves around a shift of environmental action for humanity. It is with a giant warm hug that I am able to choose a hemp option for fabric used in the coming continuity of designs. I will document the unfolding process and cite facts about what becomes of hemp production in the United States. For now, the hemp knit is imported via Organic Trade Association sources.
Here are some statistics, taken from Design We Need, about the countries where it is legal to grow industrial hemp:
AUSTRALIA began research trials in Tasmania in 1995. Victoria commercial production since1998. New South Wales has research. In 2002, Queensland began production. Western Australia licensed crops in 2004.
AUSTRIA has a hemp industry including production of hemp seed oil, medicinals and Hanf magazine.
CANADA started to license research crops in 1994. In addition to crops for fiber, one seed crop was licensed in 1995. Many acres were planted in 1997. Licenses for commercial agriculture saw thousands of acres planted in 1998. 30,000 acres were planted in 1999. In 2000, due to speculative investing, 12,250 acres were sown. In 2001, 92 farmers grew 3,250 acres. A number of Canadian farmers are now growing organically-certified hemp crops (6,000 acres in 2003 and 8,500 acres in 2004, yielding almost four million pounds of seed).
CHILE has grown hemp in the recent past for seed oil production.
CHINA is the largest exporter of hemp textiles. The fabrics are of excellent quality. Medium density fiber board is also now available. The Chinese word for hemp is “ma.”
DENMARK planted its first modern hemp trial crops in 1997. The country is committed to utilizing organic methods.
FINLAND had a resurgence of hemp in 1995 with several small test plots. A seed variety for northern climates was developed called Finola, previously know by the breeder code “FIN-314.” In 2003, Finola was accepted to the EU list of subsidized hemp cultivars. Hemp has never been prohibited in Finland. The Finnish word for hemp is “hamppu.”
FRANCE has never prohibited hemp and harvested 10,000 tons of fiber in 1994. France is a source of low-THC-producing hemp seed for other countries. France exports high quality hemp oil to the U.S. The French word for hemp is “chanvre.”
GERMANY banned hemp in 1982, but research began again in 1992, and many technologies and products are now being developed, as the ban was lifted on growing hemp in November, 1995. Food, clothes and paper are also being made from imported raw materials. Mercedes and BMW use hemp fiber for composites in door panels, dashboards, etc. The German word for hemp is “hanf.”
GREAT BRITAIN lifted hemp prohibition in 1993. Animal bedding, paper and textiles markets have been developed. A government grant was given to develop new markets for natural fibers. 4,000 acres were grown in 1994. Subsidies of 230 British pounds per acre are given by the government to farmers for growing hemp.
HUNGARY is rebuilding their hemp industry, and is one of the biggest exporters of hemp cordage, rugs and fabric to the U.S. They also export hemp seed, paper and fiberboard. The Hungarian word for hemp is “kender.”
INDIA has stands of naturalized Cannabis and uses it for cordage, textiles and seed.
ITALY has invested in the resurgence of hemp, especially for textile production. 1,000 acres were planted for fiber in 2002. Giorgio Armani grows its own hemp for specialized textiles.
JAPAN has a rich religious tradition involving hemp, and custom requires that the Emperor and Shinto priests wear hemp garments in certain ceremonies, so there are small plots maintained for these purposes. Traditional spice mixes also include hemp seed. Japan supports a thriving retail market for a variety of hemp products. The Japanese word for hemp is “asa.”
NETHERLANDS is conducting a four-year study to evaluate and test hemp for paper, and is developing specialized processing equipment. Seed breeders are developing new strains of low-THC varieties. The Dutch word for hemp is “hennep.”
NEW ZEALAND started hemp trials in 2001. Various cultivars are being planted in the north and south islands.
POLAND currently grows hemp for fabric and cordage and manufactures hemp particle board. They have demonstrated the benefits of using hemp to cleanse soils contaminated by heavy metals. The Polish word for hemp is “konopij.”
ROMANIA is the largest commercial producer of hemp in Europe. 1993 acreage was 40,000 acres. Some of it is exported to Hungary for processing. They also export hemp to Western Europe and the U.S. The Romanian word for hemp is “cinepa.”
RUSSIA maintains the largest hemp germplasm collection in the world at the N.I. Vavilov Scientific Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR) in St. Petersburg. They are in need of funding to maintain and support the collection. The Russian word for hemp is “konoplya.”
SLOVENIA grows hemp and manufactures currency paper.
SPAIN has never prohibited hemp, produces rope and textiles, and exports hemp pulp for paper. The Spanish word for hemp is “cañamo.”
SWITZERLAND is a producer of hemp and hosts one of the largest hemp trade events, Cannatrade.
TURKEY has grown hemp for 2,800 years for rope, caulking, birdseed, paper and fuel. The Turkish word for hemp is “kendir.”
UKRAINE, EGYPT, KOREA, PORTUGAL and THAILAND also produce hemp.
UNITED STATES granted the first hemp permit in over 40 years to Hawaii for an experimental quarter-acre plot in 1999. The license was renewed, but the project has since been closed due to DEA stalling tactics and related funding problems. Importers and manufacturers have thrived using imported raw materials. 22 states have introduced legislation, including VT, HI, ND, MT, MN, IL, VA, NM, CA, AR, KY, MD, WV and ME, addressing support, research or cultivation with bills or resolutions. The National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) has endorsed industrial hemp for years.
The
weaving of hemp fabrics is one of the world’s oldest industries, and
soon will be the only sustainable path left for our future. Our
ancestors used hemp 10,000 years ago because of its extremely high fibre
content and multiple uses. By planting hemp instead of cotton today, we
can produce 250% more fiber on the same amount of land. Since hemp is
resistant to insects and diseases, it requires no pesticides. By way of
contrast, non-organic cotton growers are responsible for over 50% of
world pesticide use. Since non-organic cotton is often rotated with
certain food crops, toxic pesticides build up and find their way into
our meals. Run-off from non-organic cotton fields further pollutes
streams, lakes, and all the creatures that depend on them. - See more
at: http://nomadshempwear.com/about-hemp/#sthash.H05StdGB.dpuf
Conventional
fabric manufacturing is one of the most toxic processes in the world.
Traditional crops like cotton dump millions of tons of pesticides into
the environment worldwide each year, while sucking up our precious water
supply. Just why are pesticides, dyes, and chemicals so terrible? Well,
anything designed to kill indiscriminately can’t be good (see Aliens
1-4), but did you know that many of these chemicals are also epigenetic?
That means that the changes they make to us at a genetic level in our
generation become heritable to our children, grand-children,
great-grand-children…Does this suddenly make “wrapping your goodies in
environmentally friendly goodness” seem like a really good plan? - See
more at: http://nomadshempwear.com/about-hemp/#sthash.H05StdGB.dpuf
Conventional
fabric manufacturing is one of the most toxic processes in the world.
Traditional crops like cotton dump millions of tons of pesticides into
the environment worldwide each year, while sucking up our precious water
supply. Just why are pesticides, dyes, and chemicals so terrible? Well,
anything designed to kill indiscriminately can’t be good (see Aliens
1-4), but did you know that many of these chemicals are also epigenetic?
That means that the changes they make to us at a genetic level in our
generation become heritable to our children, grand-children,
great-grand-children…Does this suddenly make “wrapping your goodies in
environmentally friendly goodness” seem like a really good plan? - See
more at: http://nomadshempwear.com/about-hemp/#sthash.H05StdGB.dpuf
Conventional
fabric manufacturing is one of the most toxic processes in the world.
Traditional crops like cotton dump millions of tons of pesticides into
the environment worldwide each year, while sucking up our precious water
supply. Just why are pesticides, dyes, and chemicals so terrible? Well,
anything designed to kill indiscriminately can’t be good (see Aliens
1-4), but did you know that many of these chemicals are also epigenetic?
That means that the changes they make to us at a genetic level in our
generation become heritable to our children, grand-children,
great-grand-children…Does this suddenly make “wrapping your goodies in
environmentally friendly goodness” seem like a really good plan? - See
more at: http://nomadshempwear.com/about-hemp/#sthash.H05StdGB.dpuf
