The hemp fiber segment in the US is generally preoccupied with research and development on a broad scale. Standards and specifications are key to developing liquidity in markets, and there is substantial work to do just to develop the processes and test methods that will accurately evaluate key characteristics for hemp fiber.

The field is broad. Non-wovens standards are thought to be more easily attainable but if you speak to any non-wovens industry veteran, it is a significant hurdle for hemp fiber. The field is broad within either category – non-wovens or woven textiles – but these represent a small part of the hemp plant.

Universal hemp hurd standards are also non-existent, but markets have helped to shape these in the past few years, mainly through animal bedding and hemp-lime construction markets. Prominent builders in the US still look to Europe to source clean hurd for hemp-lime construction.

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