DISCOVER
HEMP

An ancient plant
still relevant
today
Hemp cultivation has accompanied human history. In the 19th century, this plant was even considered a basic necessity and used in many fields such as clothing, sailing, rope-making, paper-making, food, and pharmacy. In the 20th century, the rise of petrochemicals nearly led to its disappearance. Today, the need to produce in a healthy, safe, sustainable, local, and accessible way is bringing this plant back into fashion.
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BETWEEN HEMP AND HUMANS, 12,000 YEARS OF HISTORY
Hemp is one of the first plants domesticated by humans, probably in Asia, during the Neolithic period. It then accompanied migrations and conquests, thus spreading to all continents.
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9500 BC

Recent archaeobotanical studies suggest that hemp appeared simultaneously in prehistoric sites in Japan and Eastern Europe, approximately 11,500 to 10,200 years ago.

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8000 BC

Excavations at the Neolithic site of Xianrendong, located in Jiangxi and dated to 8000 BC, revealed ceramics, with some pots decorated with spiraled hemp fibers.

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800

In the Middle Ages, Emperor Charlemagne strongly encouraged hemp cultivation. This plant was like a guarantee of prosperity, due to the numerous uses allowed by its fiber, such as making clothes, ropes, and sails.

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17th and 18th centuries

Intercontinental maritime trade was booming, and European powers were competing for naval supremacy. Hemp became a strategic product. Indeed, a medium-sized ship carried between 10 and 20 tons of hemp in the form of ropes and between 5 and 10 tons in the form of sails, which had to be regularly renewed.

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Early 20th century

In 1937, the "Marijuana Tax Act" banned hemp cultivation in the United States. This was followed by competition in its textile use from exotic fibers such as jute, sisal, and kenaf, as well as synthetic fibers like nylon, and in the paper industry from wood. Hemp declined rapidly during the first half of the 20th century.

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1940s

In France, 176,000 hectares were cultivated in 1840. A century later, in 1939, the cultivated area was only 3,400 hectares. In 1942, the American government relaunched hemp fiber production and even made a propaganda film titled "Hemp for Victory".

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1960s

INRA and the National Federation of Hemp Producers (FNPC) launched a varietal selection program aimed at developing plants with low THC content. This work helped restart agricultural hemp cultivation in several European countries.

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1990s

The rise of environmental concerns since the late 20th century has tended to stimulate the development of hemp markets in areas as varied as textiles, housing, food, and plastics manufacturing, etc.

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2003

In 2003, the InterChanvre interprofession was created to promote the exceptional qualities of this plant. Today, France is Europe's leading hemp producer, representing more than a third of the 60,000 hectares cultivated on the continent, and the second-largest producer worldwide.

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An eco-responsible
crop
Zero pesticides

Hemp is a fast-growing plant that effectively suppresses competing weeds. Moreover, it is rarely affected by pests. Generally, no phytosanitary products are needed in the field between planting and harvest.

Zero irrigation

Thanks to its deep root system, hemp is a crop that resists drought relatively well. In the vast majority of cases, hemp is grown without irrigation.

Carbon sink

Hemp's rapid growth has the additional advantage of producing high biomass with each harvest. Consequently, hemp captures between 9 and 15 tons of CO2 per hectare per year and stores part of it in its materials, thus contributing to greenhouse gas reduction.

Environmental
services

Hemp cultivation supports 10 UN Sustainable Development Goals. InterChanvre offers the Hemp PES contract, compensating producers for their environmental services, ideal for companies committed to ecological and societal goals.

The InterChanvre
    PES contract
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Multiple
uses

The fight against climate change requires alternatives to fossil resources, present in almost all consumer products. Hemp is a modest and virtuous plant whose production and processing consumes little energy. Versatile, it can meet many needs: human and animal food, textiles, cosmetics, construction, insulation, bedding, rope-making, paper, and composite materials.

Developed by industry players, hemp uses are extremely varied, ranging from traditional applications to the development of innovative bio-based materials.

The uses
    of hemp
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BUILDING &
ECO-CONSTRUCTION

In hemp, all parts are utilized. The seed and its derivatives possess exceptional nutritional qualities, making it a true health food. The hemp hurd, from the central part of the stem, is a source of innovation for more sustainable construction techniques. The fiber, also extracted from the stem, allows many sectors (textile, paper, construction, plastics) to use a local and environmentally-friendly raw material. Even hemp dust, a residue from processing steps, is used to produce renewable energy.

Hemp
    processing
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A crop beneficial
to producers

Hemp is a rustic, robust plant that allows it to adapt to environmental variations. An excellent rotation head, its cultivation requires little maintenance and helps improve soil quality and increase the yield of subsequent crops, particularly cereals. Finally, its dense foliage promotes biodiversity and attracts beneficial insects.

Discover
    hemp cultivation