This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Saturday, 25 February 2023
Why Not See If Industrial Hemp Can Be Fast-Tracked?
Industrial hemp doesn't yield significant quantities of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabiol (CBD). This crop does, however, requires much less water than comparable plants. Industrial hemp can also grow in most climates, with up to 2 crops per year. This plant sequesters carbon as well as improving soil quality. Its woody core, grain, oil and fibre have lots of commercial applications. Industrial hemp products are used as dietary ingredients, to make textiles, and to create biofuels, bioplastics and mulch etc. The 2018 Farm Bill, however, prevents industrial hemp waste being used as commercial livestock feed (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/24/hemp-green-crop-red-tape-agriculture-livestock). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved hempseed and oil for human consumption. These ingredients can even be used in pet snacks. Industrial hemp waste cannot, however, be given as feed to farm animals, producing eggs, meat or milk for sale. It's appreciated that care must be taken to ensure that new materials used in farming are completely safe. Commercial livestock feed is, however, increasingly scarce and expensive. All the indications are, that industrial hemp could help plug the commercial livestock feed gap. Increasing Industrial hemp's production could also help counter climate change and improve farming efficiency. Relying on Industrial hemp growers to prove the safety of their waste product as animal feed, would be both expensive and slow. It's already almost 5 years since the Farm Bill. Perhaps, given the circumstances, the FDA should pay for trials to fast-track the process?
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