Industrial Hemp as a Sustainable Resource in Rural Areas

AI Quick Summary

Spaceafrica (www.spaceafrica.life) is a Swiss Start-Up founded in 2020 in Zürich aiming at the production of locally sourced biomaterials in Malawi (Africa).For direct prototyping and testing, we are able to deliver the following:Industrial hemp fiber, sourced from MalawiMilled hemp straw from CBD processing waste, sourced in Switzerland.Industrial hemp straw or separated fiber and hurds, cultivated in Zürich.Fiber modification and pretreatment know-how Spaceafrica is a Swiss Start-Up founded in 2020 in Zürich aiming at the production of locally sourced biomaterials in Malawi (Africa).Malawi is heavily dependent on agriculture - socially and economically. To date, the industrial agriculture sector is dominated by the tobacco industry, making Malawi Africas the largest exporter of dried and unprocessed tobacco. Nevertheless, profits of the promised gold crop do not reach local farmers and compete with food production. On the other hand, industrial hemp can be cultivated for food production, since the seeds contain valuable nutrients and can be processed into protein powder or hemp seed oil, suitable as a supplement for the starving population of Malawi.With the Cannabis Regulation Act 2020, the foundation for a new industry was developed, which was heavily influenced and supported by our local partner Invegrow LLC. To date, we process hemp hurds into renewable heating briquettes or hempcrete for construction purposes. As an outlook, the fiber will be processed with recycled PET or cassava starch into biocomposites. To date, the fiber is still unused and stored. This applies to other African countries which legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana, Eswatini, Rwanda and Morocco.As matter of fact, the resource efficiency of hemp cultivation in Switzerland is comparable or worse. Even though the hemp and cannabis industry has a long history for the production of tea, oil, and recently CBD, the majority of the plant stays unused. Many of the swiss farmers we contacted discarded the hemp straw or mixed it into the soil. Huge amounts of biomass are discarded frequently, which could be processed into materials to utilize the seasonal carbon sequestration potential of hemp. Furthermore, the cultivation of winter hemp in Europe for crop rotation is in an early development stage. With this method, the retting of the straw (decomposition of pectins for a better separation of fiber and hurds) occurs prior to the harvest and potentially yields ideal fiber resources for textile production.With our Swiss partners, we are recently developing an affordable decorticator for the processing of hemp straw. This project is financially supported by REPIC. In addition, we are collaborating with the Zikomo Foundation to develop 5 hectares of industrial hemp cultivation space in Malawi.For direct prototyping and testing, we are able to deliver:Industrial hemp fiber, sourced from MalawiMilled hemp straw from CBD processing waste, sourced in Switzerland.Industrial hemp straw or separated fiber and hurds, cultivated in Zürich.Fiber modification and pretreatment know-howPictures of described products are attached in the following link:

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Industrial Hemp as a Sustainable Resource in Rural Areas
• Date: 10/14/2022 3:45:35 PM
• Administrators:
  • Arthur Groh

Project Idea Description

Spaceafrica is a Swiss Start-Up founded in 2020 in Zürich aiming at the production of locally sourced biomaterials in Malawi (Africa).

Malawi is heavily dependent on agriculture - socially and economically. To date, the industrial agriculture sector is dominated by the tobacco industry, making Malawi Africas the largest exporter of dried and unprocessed tobacco. Nevertheless, profits of the promised gold crop do not reach local farmers and compete with food production. On the other hand, industrial hemp can be cultivated for food production, since the seeds contain valuable nutrients and can be processed into protein powder or hemp seed oil, suitable as a supplement for the starving population of Malawi.

With the Cannabis Regulation Act 2020, the foundation for a new industry was developed, which was heavily influenced and supported by our local partner Invegrow LLC. To date, we process hemp hurds into renewable heating briquettes or hempcrete for construction purposes. As an outlook, the fiber will be processed with recycled PET or cassava starch into biocomposites. To date, the fiber is still unused and stored. This applies to other African countries which legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana, Eswatini, Rwanda and Morocco.

As matter of fact, the resource efficiency of hemp cultivation in Switzerland is comparable or worse. Even though the hemp and cannabis industry has a long history for the production of tea, oil, and recently CBD, the majority of the plant stays unused. Many of the swiss farmers we contacted discarded the hemp straw or mixed it into the soil. Huge amounts of biomass are discarded frequently, which could be processed into materials to utilize the seasonal carbon sequestration potential of hemp. Furthermore, the cultivation of winter hemp in Europe for crop rotation is in an early development stage. With this method, the retting of the straw (decomposition of pectins for a better separation of fiber and hurds) occurs prior to the harvest and potentially yields ideal fiber resources for textile production.

With our Swiss partners, we are recently developing an affordable decorticator for the processing of hemp straw. This project is financially supported by REPIC. In addition, we are collaborating with the Zikomo Foundation to develop 5 hectares of industrial hemp cultivation space in Malawi.

For direct prototyping and testing, we are able to deliver:

• Industrial hemp fiber, sourced from Malawi
• Milled hemp straw from CBD processing waste, sourced in Switzerland.
• Industrial hemp straw or separated fiber and hurds, cultivated in Zürich.
• Fiber modification and pretreatment know-how

Pictures of described products are attached in the following link:

Spaceafrica (www.spaceafrica.life) is a Swiss Start-Up founded in 2020 in Zürich aiming at the production of locally sourced biomaterials in Malawi (Africa).

For direct prototyping and testing, we are able to deliver the following:

• Industrial hemp fiber, sourced from Malawi
• Milled hemp straw from CBD processing waste, sourced in Switzerland.
• Industrial hemp straw or separated fiber and hurds, cultivated in Zürich.
• Fiber modification and pretreatment know-how