H: High fashion with hemp

Does that make you high? It’s a question that always seems to be asked about clothing made from hemp. Sustainable fabrics like nettle (doesn’t that sting?) and bamboo (isn’t that depriving the panda from its favorite food?) are fighting similar public misconceptions. (Because the answer to all three questions is, of course, a firm no). Hemp also has another battle to fight: it tends to be seen as a coarse, inflexible fabric suitable only for workmen’s pants and similarly unfashionable items.

Understandably, proponents of hemp are vocal about the stylishness as well as the environmental benefits of its fabrics. By blending hemp with softer fabrics such as cotton, it becomes possible to create a versatile garment with a great fit. And because natural fabrics such as hemp and cotton are breathable, they are comfortable to wear. What’s more, hemp threads are strong and therefore a perfect base for making long-lasting clothes. A pair of trousers made from hemp is estimated to last more than five times longer than a cotton one.

The environmentally friendly properties of hemp fabrics are more controversial. At first sight, the benefits appear obvious: hemp is a fast growing plant that needs little water, pesticides or fertilizers. Cultivation does not lead to soil erosion and is highly efficient when it comes to land use: yields are reported to be two to five times higher than cotton.

Like bamboo, hemp cultivation raises environmental issues primarily in the fiber processing stages. Generally, vast amounts of chemicals are used during the processing of coarse stalks into fibers. Manual processing is possible, but – again, like bamboo – is more expensive and therefore less common.

Another issue concerns the energy-intensive distribution networks that are inextricably connected to the current hemp production facilities. India and China are the largest producers of hemp, whereas the United States are crucial in the garment production. A piece of hemp clothing often has travelled literally around the world before it reaches your closet.

Centuries ago, the use of hemp for clothing was fairly common in the Netherlands. Nowadays, hemp cultivation has become virtually extinct (for clothing production, that is!). Several European research projects have attempted to revive the industry, developing new plant varieties and creating networks between cultivation and processing of fibers on the one hand design and production of clothes on the other. So far, none of these initiatives have resulted in local production facilities. (In fact, in 2009, the Dutch police reportedly destroyed the only test field of hemp plants because they were under the impression it was related to drugs production).

In the mean time, China is anxious to expand its hemp production, which would offer considerable benefits for its labor force. First, it would free large areas of cotton-growing land for food production. In addition, hemp cultivation promises to generate extra income for millions of small-scale farmers in some of the country’s poorest rural areas. If this is true, we’d better tackle that image issue soon …