International Hemp Day, 21 April – Why Celebrate Hemp?
It is International Hemp Day on the 21st of April. This is a day to celebrate the amazing health-giving benefits of “Humankind’s companion plant”.
For thousands of years the myriad of uses for the hemp plant have been known by those who understand the value of this crop. Industrial hemp comes from the Cannabis sativa plant and was one of the first crops to be cultivated by man. In fact, the earliest evidence of hemp to date was unearthed over 10,000 years ago on the island of Taiwan.
Industrial Hemp has played an important role in nutrition for centuries due to the dense nutrition held within the tiny seeds. Stalks have been utilized for everyday products, such as textiles, paper, eco-matting and building materials. Leaves contain well known health benefits, due to the rich CBD content, which is under continual research. This often unsung “hero” of the plant world surely deserves a special day of celebration?
Let’s take a closer look at why we need to value and celebrate the hemp plant!
Environmental
Industrial hemp is one of our strongest tools in terms of remediating many of the problems the environment faces today. Hemp is a rapidly growing renewable resource that can help regenerate depleted soils, sequester carbons out of the atmosphere and help to re-establish the harmony between humans and the planet again. In fact, the 21st-century sees industrial hemp retaking its vitally important place in our world.
A field of hemp can breathe in carbon dioxide capturing those carbon emissions. One hectare of industrial hemp can absorb approximately 22 tonnes of CO2 so for every ton of hemp, an average of 1.63 tons of carbon is removed from the air. Industrial hemp’s rapid growth makes it possible to grow two crops per year so this absorption can be doubled.
Alternative To Plastic
Prevent Deforestation
Hemp Can Feed the World
Hemp Building Materials
Prevents Pesticide Pollution
Soil Decontamination
Hemp Seed Nutritional Value
Hemp seeds are little power houses of nutrition. After deshelling to reveal the “Heart”, or embryotic centre of the seed, they contain all essential amino acids, making it a complete and easily digested protein. Hemp protein is made up of around two thirds edestin and one third albumin.
Edestin is a type of plant protein that is similar to the protein found in the human body, which makes it an excellent choice to meet the body’s cellular needs, such as in DNA repair. In addition, a third of hemp’s protein is in the form of albumin, which is also a high-quality globulin protein also found in egg whites. Hemp seed hearts contain an array of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, plus a perfect balance of omegas, including GLA, a real winner and they just happen to taste delicious. Easy to add to smoothies, baking, or just as a yummy snack, so easy!
Discover your Natural, Perfect Health Companion?
Hemp Fibre
There are several historical accounts including that a remnant of hemp cloth was found on an archaeological site in the Oki Islands as far back as 8000 BC. Evidence has likewise been found of hemp fibre being used during the Neolithic Age in China. In fact, the earliest evidence of hemp to date was unearthed over 10,000 years ago on the island of Taiwan. Hemp fibre has been used for rope and twine since those early days and it is a plumber’s favourite to this day.
Hemp fibre is massively important and certainly one of the largest feedstocks as a sustainable solution to industry. Fibre from the stalk is used for geo-textiles, seed matting, insulation, textiles to name a few and the woody core, or hurd is excellent for house building, animal bedding, cellulose and more.
Hemp houses are beautiful, strong, warm and fire retardant. Hempcrete has turned the home building industry on its head providing the ultimate resource for eco-green design. Made from hemp hurd and mixed with lime and water hempcrete is flameproof, rot proof, resists mould and provides an insulating platform from which to build sustainable, non-toxic, carbon negative, environmentally friendly homes. Hurd can also be used for bedding materials, plastics, micronized for use in paper plates and the list goes on.
Celebrate and Choose Hemp
So many reasons as to why we celebrate international Hemp Day, our environment needs change and hemp is a massive part of the solution. Environmental, social, economic and action. To benefit from the growth, processing and utilization of hemp crops we are continuing to increase infrastructure, growth, and R&D for a brighter future.
To celebrate this special day on the 21st April, you can support the hemp industry by buying hemp products, share the knowledge and spread the word about the amazing environmental health and wellbeing benefits of this crop. You can gift your loved ones with hemp items, add hemp to your daily diet and just feel good about the plant.
