Isaac, Henare and Levi represent a start-up organisation called Hilscorp Ltd that aims to enable the development of the New Zealand industrial hemp industry.
A quick search provides this information. Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant - Cannabis sativa L.
The term "hemp" commonly refers to the industrial/commercial use of the cannabis stalk and seed for textiles, foods, papers, body care products, detergents, plastics and building materials.
The term "marijuana" refers to the medicinal, recreational or spiritual use involving the smoking of cannabis leaves. Industrial hemp contains only about 0.3 -1.5 per cent THC ( tetrahydrocannabinoids, the intoxicating ingredients that makes people high) while marijuana contains about 5 -10 per cent or more of THC.
Hemp fibre is the longest, strongest and most durable of all natural fibres. Hemp cultivation requires no chemicals, pesticides or herbicides. The seed and seed-oil are high in protein, essential fatty and amino acids, and vitamins. Hemp would be an ideal source of biomass for fuel, and hemp ethanol burns cleanly.
Hemp is easy to grow, and actually conditions soil where it grows. Hemp takes 10-12 weeks to grow to maturity. It is planted in late October and uses a lot of water in the first five weeks of growth.
Depending on the soil composition, hemp crops do not require fertiliser nor do they require spraying with pesticides, which lowers input costs. Hemp grows extraordinarily well in Hawke's Bay.
I am surprised to learn hemp and humanity have been linked for more than 10,000 years. Hemp was our first agricultural crop, and remained the planet's largest crop and most important industry until the late 19th century. However, a lot of the world never stopped growing hemp and, today, it is grown commercially in China, Hungary, England, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, India and throughout Asia.
Unfortunately, hemp has been lumped into the same category as marijuana and been banned as a product in some of the more developed countries. My friends owned a hemp store in Wellington, which is where I learned of the amazing qualities of hemp. I fail to understand why hemp has not become more widely available.
Henare and I first met Isaac, Henare and Levi last year. We visited the site where they grew a 2.5ha trial crop of hemp. This trial involved lots of red tape from the Ministry of Health. Our interest was initially sparked by their passion to build with hemp - particularly to provide social housing for low income whanau. We quickly learn of the huge potential growing and manufacturing hemp products could provide. We meet to find out how their overseas visit went. The purpose of their trip was to identify opportunities for technology transfer. Isaac shares with us that hemp technology is still young here. New Zealand has little infrastructure in place. Another reason for their trip was to develop international networks and bring this knowledge back to Hawke's Bay.
Fuelled with a flat white and a lull in interruptions, the three begin to share their experiences. Their trip to research the hemp industry took them to the US, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Germany and the UK. My fingers move quickly to keep up with their dialogue - but the rest of their story will have to wait until next time.
I am out of words.
-Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere.
