
Hemp Vs Hunger
Can hemp help solve the global food crisis?
It already is.
“Hemp is an amazing plant,” reported the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recently.
“It uses a fraction of the water needed to grow cotton, every
part is useful, and it absorbs more carbon dioxide per hectare
than other crops and most trees. Cultivated for thousands of
years, the eco-friendly plant can be used in food products,
biofuels, textiles and even building materials.”
As awareness of hemp’s benefits increases, the global market
could hit $18.6 billion by 2027 – almost four times the amount
in 2020, a new UNCTAD report said.
“Unlike the most commonly farmed crops, hemp is much
more resistant and adaptable to environmental factors, making
it possible to successfully grow even in high-risk farming
areas such as colder climate zones,” Jürgen Jürgenson, CEO
and co-founder of sustainable food company Naturist, told
vegworldmag.com. “This resilience makes it possible to grow
food which otherwise could not exist, efficiently increasing food
production and ongoing supply in a sustainable way.”
“If we continue at the current pace, our environment, and
eventually humanity, will suffer devastating consequences,” added
Taavid Mikomägi, another co-founder. “We founded Naturist
with the aim of discovering a solution that is both sustainable and
nutritious. Hemp meets both criteria. In terms of its nutritional
value, hemp has a favorable fatty acid profile that improves heart
health and longevity and reduces cardiovascular disease, blood
pressure and obesity. Hemp contains high levels of omega-3s
that tend to be low in factory-farmed livestock. It provides a
sustainable, healthy food source that is currently unutilized due
to misconceptions and lack of infrastructure.”
“In the era of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), useful
plants which provide valuable industrial outputs and at the same
time pose less impact on the environment should be explored,”
noted MDPI.com, a platform for peer-reviewed, scientific openaccess journals, recently. “Hemp seems one of the most relevant
gluten-free crop plants to meet such requirements.”
Indeed, hemp’s high nutritional value can be compared to that
of soy, it continued. “Moreover, almost the whole body of the
hemp plant has a wide array of utility: industrial production of
food, fiber, and construction materials. In view of environmental
sustainability, hemp requires less pesticides or water in cultivation
compared to cotton, a representative fiber plant. Recent
application research of hemp protein in food processing includes
plant milk, emulsifiers, fortification of gluten-free bread, plantbased meat production, as well as membrane formation.”
LOOKING FOR INNOVATION
As food shortages grow, the world is looking to innovative
food producers. One of them is plant-based and allergenfree innovator Nepra Foods, which is addressing the rising,
global epidemic of food allergies. The Centennial, CO-based
company recently launched its ProPasta line at the latest
Natural Foods Expo. The brand is a frozen entrée line utilizing
the functionality of its proprietary ingredients in pastas, soft
cheeses, and meat analogues.
At the core of Nepra's offerings is its proprietary Textured Hemp
Protein (THPTM), which is viewed as a game changer for the
plant-based food industry. Nepra has gone on to include it as an
ingredient in ProPasta, and has announced beef-, chicken- and
pork-flavored plant-based meats made from THPTM.
"Customers will be amazed by the authentic tastes and textures
of our new lineup of allergen-free plant-based meat analogs,"
said Chadwick White, Nepra’s co-founder and Chief Innovation
Officer in a release. "We are convinced that the nutritional and
environmental advantages of hemp protein will revolutionize
the food industry and proud that Nepra is taking a leading role
in bringing healthy and sustainable options to restaurants."
"My involvement in the natural products industry for 15
years means I have personally experienced and witnessed
many exciting product launches; ProPasta's national debut on
eCommerce platforms is the most exciting one to date," said
Nepra's Vice President of CPG Sales, Kate Cash. Her team has
created what she calls “the most innovative, nutritious, and
delicious meals with three 'first to market' plant-based and
allergen-free elements: a ricotta ravioli, a proprietary hemp
meatball & a delicious hemp pasta that microwaves."
RECOMMENDATIONS
To help countries exploit the economic and
environmental benefits of industrial hemp,
UNCTAD recommends the following steps:
• All countries should clarify the legal status of hemp compared
to cannabis.
• Governments and industry should understand how production
could be constrained by the rules of potential export markets.
• Developing countries should promote regional cooperation to
establish viable and sustainable value chains for hemp based
on a whole-of-plant approach.
• In most cases, developing countries should base their plans on
a local network of farmers and businesses that can provide raw
hemp and first-processing services.
• Countries should define and adopt quality standards to
ease access to international markets and also promote quality
products for domestic markets.
“With its easy cultivation and vast environmental and
economic potential, industrial hemp cultivation can be the
way forward for the growth of sustainable value chains in
local and regional markets for many developing countries,”
the UNCTAD report concluded.