The Use of Industrial Hemp for Soil Restoration and Other Agricultural Purposes
In recent years, both the internet and many media outlets in Western countries have been flooded with advice, discussions, and various materials about the benefits of using industrial hemp (hereafter, “hemp”) as a therapeutic agent. Most of these materials focus on the remarkable properties of CBD, a non-psychoactive compound (or, more precisely, one without strong psychoactive effects) that is primarily obtained from processing and extracting industrial hemp or plants specifically bred for medical use.
CBD is one of the main therapeutic cannabinoids and is often more popular among medical professionals because, unlike its close chemical relative THC, it does not have intoxicating effects. This allows for relatively free and unregulated distribution and use (about a year ago, both CBD and its main source, industrial hemp, were fully decriminalized in the United States). Just ten years ago, this compound was strictly prohibited, but now it is produced in many countries for both domestic markets and export, in both natural and processed forms (mainly, CBD is diluted with thickeners for sale as vape liquids or mixed with extracts of other cannabinoids and sold as formal medicinal products).
Due to relatively weak regulation, CBD extracts are now widely available in many European countries, where such oils, derived from industrial or wild hemp, are sold as almost universal remedies for alleviating symptoms of both minor and severe chronic illnesses. While some medical experts question the “universality” of CBD’s therapeutic effects, many private and some clinical trials confirm its high potential for relieving pain and inflammation (as well as nausea related to cancer chemotherapy) and even for treating serious, life-threatening diseases (CBD is considered the safest, most effective, and accessible therapy for various forms of epilepsy).
However, despite the hype around the medicinal properties of hemp and the growing wave of legalization of psychoactive varieties for recreational use in the West, people often overlook another important and extremely beneficial property for humanity and the environment: As practical trials have shown, the hemp plant itself is a highly effective soil restorer. It can extract various pollutants from the ground, from heavy metals to radioactive particles, while enriching the cleaned soil layers with nutrients and minerals, making them extremely fertile for planting other agricultural and food crops.
An Environmental Miracle in a Single Plant
Although this fact is still known to a relatively small circle of scientists in ecology and agriculture, available data and observations show that hemp is one of the few cultivated plants that enriches the topsoil rather than depleting it. Before the global criminalization of hemp, including industrial varieties, hemp was universally cultivated worldwide due to its low water and nutrient requirements and its resilience to extreme growing conditions.
Another key factor in the plant’s global popularity was its remarkable ability to restore nutrient and mineral levels in the soil where it grew, a fact noticed by farmers across different countries and cultures since ancient times. Modern observations and biochemical analyses of soil where industrial hemp has been grown show that, unlike many other industrial crops like cotton, hemp uses very little water, preventing soil dehydration. By harvest time, it returns up to 70% of the nutrients it used back to the topsoil, effectively restoring soil health for the next planting cycle.
As for the agricultural properties of hemp, especially industrial varieties (which differ from psychoactive types by their high CBD content and long, strong stalks with thick, fibrous layers), these plants provide a cheap and high-quality raw material for the textile and organic chemical industries. Unlike some of the sensationalized claims about hemp’s medical properties, the versatility and reliability of its industrial uses are well-proven. In addition to textiles, hemp is a reliable source of oils and seeds with high nutritional value, suitable for both human consumption and as healthy animal feed. With proper processing, hemp fibers can also be used as a base for a wide range of technical and construction materials, from biodegradable plastics to innovative forms of cement and polymers already used in buildings and industrial equipment. Furthermore, hemp oils, combined with the plant’s ease of cultivation, could become a new, more affordable, and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, offering a more efficient use of arable land compared to popular bio-diesel sources.
Beyond restoring soil nutrients, hemp also offers several other agricultural benefits. Its roots improve soil aeration and water permeability, and the plant acts as a “barrier crop,” effectively protecting other industrial or food crops from weeds and unintended pollination, all while using minimal soil nutrients needed by other plants.
Benefits of Hemp Cultivation: Facts and Figures
According to some environmental specialists, hemp is one of the safest crops for large-scale cultivation from an ecological perspective. For example, compared to cotton (one of the world’s most common industrial crops), hemp requires only half as much water and produces about 250% more usable material, considering that nearly every part of the plant can be used after harvest. On a mass planting scale, one hectare of hemp uses about four times less water and minerals than an equivalent area of cotton.
Additionally, unlike cotton and many other mass crops, hemp does not require large amounts of pesticides due to its natural resilience and biological defenses against pests. As information about its technical properties spreads, hemp is already making a comeback in the fields of major agricultural nations. China is actively cultivating hemp for export, and with recent deregulation in the US and Canada, experts predict that North America could become the global center for hemp production, processing, and distribution by 2026. Companies in the region are already using hemp fibers in textile manufacturing and as ingredients in food and cosmetics, and it is expected that by the middle of the decade, hemp will be widely used in more demanding industries like engineering and construction.
The popularization of hemp for agricultural purposes is also gradually gaining traction. For example, at the beginning of the month, fashion designer Korto Momolu presented a new collection in New York made entirely from processed hemp fibers, aiming to draw public and industry attention to the versatility and convenience of this relatively new textile material. So far, hemp fabrics have gained a reputation among independent and eco-friendly designers who use sustainable plants like bamboo and hemp. However, progress is also being made in the mass fashion market: earlier this year, Levi’s released a limited batch of jeans made from “cottonized hemp” (hemp fibers processed to resemble cotton), and the company plans to significantly expand its line of hemp-based clothing, claiming it is “absolutely organic and 100% safe for the environment, both in production and recycling.”
An Affordable Source of Fuel
Perhaps the most significant ecological benefit of hemp is its potential as a substitute for fossil fuels, the main source of atmospheric pollution. Experts working in this field note that certain industrial hemp varieties, such as Cannabis Sativa Linn, are especially promising. In fact, entire studies have been dedicated to this topic, such as the 2015 review “Pros and Cons of Hemp Biodiesel Production and Use,” which concludes that, despite initial costs for setting up production and adapting industry and transport to this fuel, the investment pays off quickly in terms of profitability and environmental impact.
“The main and undeniable advantage of using hemp for biofuel production is its low cultivation requirements and high biomass yield, both per plant and per hectare,” the study notes. “In terms of economic and agricultural efficiency, as well as the environmental footprint of fuel production and use, hemp is a cleaner and safer alternative to the current market leader: palm oil. Moreover, the profitability of hemp-based fuel will increase exponentially as more countries legalize industrial hemp cultivation.”
The main raw materials for biofuel production are hemp oil and biomass, in which hemp far outpaces its closest competitors, such as soy, palm, and rapeseed. “Not only can hemp and its oil be easily adapted for mass biofuel production, but the resulting product, with minimal processing, meets international quality and safety standards such as ATSM D6751 and EN 14214. The only area where hemp diesel falls short compared to traditional or other standardized biofuels is in oxidation stability, which is a minor issue easily corrected by adding antioxidants to the fuel.”
The Bright Future of Hemp Technologies
As the many examples of hemp fiber and oil use show, this plant could become a vital technical resource for the next generation, providing humanity with a universal raw material for countless applications, from medicines and food supplements to a potential replacement for fossil fuels.
Currently, the main obstacle to wider adoption of these technologies is the reluctance of many governments to recognize hemp as an important industrial crop. If the global ban on mass hemp cultivation and trade in its components were lifted, the industry could develop much faster, lowering the threshold for economic exploitation and technological innovation in hemp-based manufacturing.
It is possible that the ongoing wave of interest in legalizing therapeutic and recreational hemp could lead to a global reform, re-legalizing the plant and its industrial use. At the very least, world authorities should pay attention to the achievements of hemp technologies, if only as a way to replace environmentally harmful fuels and limited resources with more accessible and eco-friendly alternatives, as an effective measure against the looming crisis of global warming. Perhaps, in this way, this ancient technology, once seriously considered by industrialist Henry Ford, will become the new universal material for building homes, technologies, vehicles, and the fuel to power them.
Original author: Julian Virgo