Texfash explores hemp’s potential in a four-article series, highlighting the opportunities for a more sustainable textile industry. The Hemp4Circularity (H4C) project is at the heart of these efforts, connecting farmers, researchers, and industry to move hemp from experimental fields to usable fabrics.
From flax habits to hemp futures
Europe is slowly shifting from flax to hemp. Sustainable, versatile, and eco-friendly, hemp is ready to make its mark — but scaling it for textiles isn’t simple. Infrastructure gaps, regulations, and processing challenges remain. Yet, optimism grows as lessons are learned and solutions tested.
Read the full Texfash article: From flax habits to hemp futures
Europe’s bioeconomy at a crossroads
Valbiom pushes for hemp and bio-based materials to move beyond pilots like H4C. The challenge? Fragmented support and limited investment. The solution? Coordinated strategies, long-term funding, and European collaboration. Hemp can become a cornerstone of the circular bioeconomy — if we scale it smartly.
Processing power, not acreage, will decide hemp’s future
While hemp cultivation in Europe has expanded, the future of hemp textiles hinges more on processing capabilities than on increasing acreage. The real challenge lies in developing scalable and efficient processing technologies to transform raw hemp into usable textiles. Without this infrastructure, even large-scale cultivation won't lead to a viable hemp textile industry.
Read the full Texfash article - Processing power, not acreage, will decide hemp’s future in Europe
Joining forces is key to scale up
Farmers, researchers, and industry are joining forces. New protocols, training, and demonstrations are shaping a scalable hemp textile chain. H4C is helping create a transparent path from field to fabric, showing how collaboration drives real progress.
French hemp as a case study: experimental, but promising
As an illustrative example, France has increased hemp cultivation, but processing infrastructure and fibre quality remain limited. Spinning mills are still largely experimental, and fibre consistency can vary. Despite these challenges, lessons from H4C show that with continued investment and innovation, hemp can become a reliable and sustainable alternative to synthetic fibres.
Hemp4Circularity: balancing opportunities, challenges, and progress
Texfash’s series captures the ambition, progress, and opportunities in hemp textiles across North-West Europe. With Hemp4Circularity as the backbone, the industry is learning how to turn sustainable fibre into real fabrics — from field to final product.