About 500 hectares of hemp are cultivated in New Aquitaine.

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Atlantic hemp

  • The Region wants to structure a hemp industry in New Aquitaine, where 520 hectares are planted.

  • Several entrepreneurs are already working to develop projects around textiles, or food, relying on the virtues of this plant, which has suffered from a bad image.

The cultivation of hemp (a variety of cannabis but without THC) is starting to gain attention in New Aquitaine.

The Region commissioned a study, launched from November to February 2019, which showed an astonishing development potential in construction, food, textiles and well-being.

This robust material, long used for boat ropes, sails and even paper, was dethroned by products from the petrochemical industry after the industrial revolution.

Today, we are rediscovering its qualities.

"Its cultivation does not require any input, little water and cleans the soil, it is very interesting from an environmental point of view", underlines Virginie Thomas, in charge of the green sectors unit at the Region, pointing to consistency with the ecological roadmap of the institution called Néo-terra.

From spring 2020 until March 2022, the Region intends to structure the sector, by making an inventory of the players and the possible outlets.

The latest figures from 2018 show 520 hectares of hemp cultivation in the region.

"It is rarely a monoculture; farmers see it more as a possibility for additional diversification," says Virginie Thomas.

If the cultivated areas are still small, entrepreneurs have already started to develop hemp and see in it a very big potential.

"We want it to be able to replace polyester"

In 2016, Charles Reboux, a chiropodist by training, founded RBX Créations and began making ecological shoes in Charente-Maritime and through this was interested in hemp for their coverings.

A little later, with his sister Anne Reboux, he created Gorfoo, which offered linen and hemp products, and in particular hemp caps, a material that provides good UV protection.

To go further in the valorization of the hemp stem and to offer finer fabrics, they are working with mellois hemp, an association which brings together nine hemp growers.

"We do R & D to transform it into a textile fiber so that it can replace polyester," explains Anne Reboux.

80% of textile fibers are derived from petroleum and industrial cotton ”.

The idea is also to adapt it to existing weaving machines.

Several more years will be needed to refine this new fiber, called Iroony. 

"Incredible proteins"

Five years ago, when Vincent Lartizien spoke about his hemp project around him, mockery began.

“We were surfers who wanted to sell cannabis,” he recalls.

This former surfer lived 20 years in the United States where he heard a lot about the virtues of hemp.

When he wanted to embark on the creation of surf wear in accordance with his ecological values, he naturally became interested in this material.

There is then not much culture in France.

“The seed is a concentrate of high quality protein that is both complex and digestible,” he explains.

It contains essential fatty acids that are only found in certain fish.

It's a nutritional bomb ”.

The peeled seeds have a nutty taste which can also be used to produce oil.

In total, his company "les chanvres de l'Atlantique" offers food products based on hemp, sold in specialized organic stores and also hemp clothing.

"This is the fifth year and we are doubling our sales every year," says Vincent Lartizien.

Helped by private funding from the surfing industry, he is carrying out a project to build a 1400 m2 plant in hemp concrete in the Landes, which should open in the summer of 2021. “Here in the Landes there is enormous potential because we only plant corn, but growing hemp cleans the soil and can be done without an irrigation system, ”he insists.

For these entrepreneurs, the support of the Region makes it possible to change the image of hemp and strengthens their conviction that it has a very bright future.

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