By Steve Allin
In recent weeks, I’ve been focusing on how my knowledge of environmentalism and sustainability can be applied to the current state of the industrial hemp industry. My awareness of environmental issues began as a young school student, thanks to some enlightened teachers at my secondary school.
This awareness grew when I read reviews of *The Limits to Growth* report and discovered “The Whole Earth Catalog.” These two events introduced me to the idea that our lifestyle was unsustainable and provided tools to address the situation.
Wizards & Prophets
The creator of The Whole Earth Catalog, Stuart Brand, recently resurfaced in my life through a video by his Long Now Foundation. The video featured Charles C. Mann, a journalist, author, and philosopher. His three books describe how the world was in 1641, how it changed by 1643, and how humanity is trying to deal with the resulting challenges (Wizards & Prophets).
Years ago, I watched a similar TED Talk by Mann, where he explained that those seeking solutions for humanity can be divided into “Wizards” or “Prophets.”
Meet Steve Allin at this year’s International Hemp Building Symposium, October 15-16 in Staffanstorp near Malmö, Sweden
He used two scientists as examples: Norman Borlaug, an agronomist (the “Wizard”), believed science could solve anything and developed rust-resistant wheat, a pillar of the Green Revolution. William Vogt, an ecologist (the “Prophet”), warned that overreliance on technology would push the planet’s limits, with damaging effects.
Both men thought they were protecting nature and improving life, and for a long time, both had valid arguments. However, as we gather more data on our environment, there’s greater urgency in addressing this emergency.
Practical solutions
So, how do we compare the “Wizards” and “Prophets” of the hemp industry? The business world loves the term “growth,” but I’m sure I’m not the only one questioning an economic system so dependent on it. Many promoting hemp want the sector to grow, but how can we ensure we’re not ignoring future problems while providing practical global solutions?
Hemp has been championed as an environmental tool since “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer. Unfortunately, some people overstate hemp’s benefits – like claiming no fertilizers are required or exaggerating production volumes. The facts are more complex. Environmental benefits depend on how hemp is grown and harvested, and what companion crops or rotation systems are used.
Carbon storage in soil and materials is still being quantified, and climate change affects agricultural systems. Sowing times are shifting, and field retting is riskier now than in previous centuries.
At this year’s European Industrial Hemp Association event in Prague, large-scale concepts and market expansion dominated. Some presentations balanced wizardry and prophecy, but two stood out as distinct approaches.
Small-scale, large-scale
Maciej Kowalski of Poland’s Kombinat Konopny exemplified the Prophet approach. Starting small, he uses stand retting during harsh Polish winters to process hemp fibers with old local equipment. His community-based project proves the potential for textile production, all within a former horticultural combine. Kombinat Konopny dreams big but is grounded in careful, small-scale steps.
On the Wizard side, Michael Bieder’s company Fibamax has ambitious plans for 250,000 hectares of hemp cultivation, yielding 3 million tons of crop and €1.2 billion in revenue by 2035. Fibamax’s high-tech vision for processing hemp raises concerns. Low prices for hemp as a substitute for other biomass or cellulose materials—like timber or maize, which are subsidized—may pose challenges, as hemp lacks similar subsidies.
This echoes the argument around green energy: the transition from fossil fuels would be faster if oil and gas subsidies were redirected to green energy. Large-scale processes require significant energy, and Fibamax’s motto, “Creative Minds With No Limits,” raises a red flag. Anyone with a realistic view of the future knows there are limits.
I draw a parallel between conventional and organic farming and the growth of a business. Rapidly investing in large-scale processes risks becoming dependent on artificial inputs – like chemical farming. In contrast, growing a small business from the ground up is harder but more sustainable when rooted in the community.
This doesn’t mean I favor one approach over the other. Both will be needed, as farming techniques and geography vary widely around the world. One size will not fit all. We’ll need solutions for both small fields and large farms in the Americas and Europe.
Net zero challenge
The international effort to sequester carbon will require every available tool. Achieving Net Zero or better will be challenging, but lower carbon lifestyles can play a huge role in national reductions. Energy-efficient homes built or retrofitted with hemp materials offer significant savings and health benefits, creating lower-impact life choices.
This is my Wizard mind speaking. My Prophet mind reminds me, however, that many solutions we propose are often used to justify harmful technological expansion. For example, Ryanair’s CEO boasted about new, greener aircraft while simultaneously seeking to double flights from Dublin airport – negating any environmental benefits. This is the Jevons Paradox. Net Zero housing solutions should reduce overall emissions, not excuse greater volumes of consumption.
Steve Allin pioneered the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA), which he serves as director. An author, teacher and consultant on ecological building, Allin has been building with hemp and promoting hemp’s use in construction worldwide for more than 20 years. He is the author of “Building with Hemp” (2005, 2012) and “Hemp Buildings: 50 International Case Studies” (2021). Allin lives in Rusheens, Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland.