Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is an annual plant with tall stems that has various uses and benefits, from being used in clothing production to bioenergy generation in the form of biomass fuel. Cultivation in temperate regions worldwide allows hemp to provide fibre, seeds and energy sources – among them biomass fuel generation – while its profitability as energy crop depends upon several factors including yields, production costs, price of crude oil and electricity among others.
Hemp has long been used for industrial applications, including rope making. Its strengths and durability outshone those of cotton, silk or linen; yet it was less flexible. Additionally, hemp seeds contain up to 35% fat content as an excellent source of protein.
Seeds consist of two parts, the hull and kernel. The former contains most of the dietary fibre content – typically 27 to 34% – while its oil provides industrialists with maximum polyunsaturated fatty acid content up to 80% of total lipids. Industrialists are also interested in the protein fraction found within hemp seeds: there’s legumin known as edestin which constitutes 75% of its total protein, and albumin which accounts for 37%. Hemp proteins are particularly soluble; their ratio between arginine to lysine is higher than either soy or casein proteins.
Hemp’s most prominent use is today is in making paper, as its production can be more easily and economically accomplished than using wood pulp or recycled newsprint. Furthermore, hemp fibres can be used in building materials as insulation replacement and even “hempcrete,” an environmentally friendly load bearing material suitable for foundations or walls.
Hemp is a resilient and fast-growing crop that requires little in the way of fertilizers or pesticides to grow successfully, making it a good option for improving degraded soil structures and helping restore degraded areas. Hemp thrives under similar conditions to corn, wheat and timber while its growth rate surpasses all three in just 12 to 18 months! However, hemp may be susceptible to weed growth so planting should include both biological and chemical controls to combat it effectively.
