Hemp to end world hunger

Three Italians, Stefano Chen Sipeng, Chiara Chiesa and Federico Cremonini, have founded an association called Agricanapa. Founded in 2014 near the city of Brescia, the association promotes hemp culture and information. Their aim is to convince people that respect and protection of the environment are important issues today, and can be combined with responsible agriculture and use of natural resources.

Their aim is to develop a short chain that includes hemp cultivation, processing and marketing. The association grows 70 hectares of hemp. From this crop, the seeds are transformed into edible oil or flour. They then supply local companies to produce pasta (obviously) but also beer.

Hemp to save the planet

The 3 young Italians presented a project for growing hemp in Africa at the Space Apps Challenge, a NASA-sponsored international event designed in part to address the challenges of famine and agriculture in Africa.

«With just €15, you can cultivate 1000m² of land. No need for fertilizers or herbicides. And with only two periods of rain a year, you can get 3 pounds of flour a month, but also seeds whose oil is rich in protein. [...] And with the straw, we proposed the creation of a small warehouse», explains Chiara Chiesa.

Federico explains: «For our project, we asked ourselves the following questions: dear planet earth, what are we eating today? What sustainable, nutritious food crop could we develop to work alongside the local crops that have depleted the land in disadvantaged countries? I thought hemp was the perfect answer, both as food and as a raw material for everyday needs.

A challenge that comes directly from properties of industrial hemp, A plant that can be used for everything from roots and leaves to stems and seeds.

Mehdi Bautier