A top Italian farm organization is exploring an industrial hemp project in Kazakhstan as the Central Asian country accelerates its move into legal cultivation and processing. Officials from the Unione Coltivatori Italiani (UCI) met with the national investment promotion agency Kazakh Invest to discuss pilot projects and longer-term investment strategies in textiles, green construction, and pharmaceuticals.
The talks, held in Astana, included UCI President Mario Serpillo and Kazakh Invest Deputy Chairmen Azamat Kozhanov and Madiyar Sultanbek. The Italian side presented UCI’s experience with closed-loop hemp systems in Italy—covering fiber, oil, and biomaterials—while emphasizing sustainable farming methods and international regulatory compliance.
According to both parties, the project will begin with pilot plots of up to 100 hectares in various regions of Kazakhstan, using only industrial hemp varieties compliant with the international 0.3% THC standard.
New regulatory era
The announcement follows Kazakhstan’s formal legalization of industrial hemp earlier this year, with the launch of pilot initiatives backed by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In June, the country approved a legal framework for industrial hemp production, clearly separating it from high-THC cannabis, and issued four cultivation licenses.
“The crop is a renewable source of raw materials that is actively used in industry, agriculture, medicine and the food industry,” the Ministry of Agriculture said in a recent statement, calling hemp a tool for “job creation, economic diversification, and ecological resilience.”
Pilot planting is already underway in Kostanay, while a second full-cycle agro-industrial facility is in planning in North Kazakhstan. Authorities said the new law allows hemp cultivation between 0.1% and 0.3% THC, distinguishing it chemically from both marijuana and ultra-low-cannabinoid cultivars.
Break with past
Kazakhstan’s shift marks a sharp break from its past treatment of cannabis. The Chüy Valley and Kyzylorda regions have long been hotspots for illicit cannabis, with law enforcement seizing more than 230 tons of drugs since 2014. The new legal regime is designed to redirect cannabis-related infrastructure toward controlled, industrial uses, while remaining under the watch of anti-narcotics units.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to organize a UCI delegation visit to Kazakhstan for deeper talks with government ministries, development institutions, and local partners. Kazakh officials said they view industrial hemp as a means to diversify the economy, with particular promise in bioenergy, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and light manufacturing.
Green investment potential
UCI, which represents more than 300,000 members across Italy’s farm and agribusiness sectors, is among Europe’s most experienced organizations in sustainable agriculture and rural development. Founded in the 1920s, it also plays a role in shaping EU agricultural policy and global food security strategies.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s government has identified over 500 product applications for hemp, including hempcrete, bioplastics, insulation materials, and paper. Domestic production could reduce the country’s dependence on paper imports, which previously cost over $100 million annually.
The revival of hemp farming comes after a decade of sporadic efforts. Earlier attempts in 2016 and 2018 failed to gain traction, but the new framework—with legal clarity, pilot funding, and foreign interest—suggests the sector may finally gain momentum.