Source: abc.net.au
PHOTO: Seed from this industrial hemp crop in Tasmania will be crushed for oil in 2014 (Rose Grant)
PHOTO: Klara Marosszeky led a workshop on industrial hemp building at the Jackey's Marsh Forest Festival in Tasmania(Rose Grant)
It's arguable the hemp plant has more uses than any other species under broadacre cultivation today.
And at the Jackey's Marsh Forest Festival in northern Tasmania, talk of its potential for profitable and sustainable farming pulls an attentive crowd.
PHOTO: Klara Marosszeky led a workshop on industrial hemp building at the Jackey's Marsh Forest Festival in Tasmania(Rose Grant)
"If you look at Canada, they're producing hemp pastas, hemp milk, hemp cake mixes, hemp breads,"
"And it is known to be incredibly nutritious," Klara Marosszeky says.
Klara Marosszeky is a hemp advocate who is based in the NSW Northern Rivers region and led a hemp masonry building workshop at the 2014 forest festival.
She mentions a range of uses for hemp and its by-products, including building materials, industrial oils, land remediation and biofuel production, in addition to hemp's potential for food.
Fifteen years ago Klara Marosszeky started doing agronomic research to establish hemp was a viable crop in NSW.
Having accomplished that, she became involved in building material research with the University of NSW and runs a hemp masonry supply company and consultancy.
She says her particular interest is in making the crop available as a profitable and sustainable alternative for small-scale Australian farmers to grow.
"When we're talking about moving to sustainable economies, we're actually looking for new crops," she says.
"And hemp has got an enormous amount of attributes, if we're talking about issues - for example greenhouse gas emissions.
"The biomass it produces is the equivalent to a similar area of forest [per year], but it's produced in a four month period of growth.
"We're really looking for opportunities for small to medium-sized farmers who have no value-adding industry.
"In NSW, I worked really closely with one particular community in Ashford in the central west to develop a system, where they're processing hemp on their farm and earning what they see as a viable income.
"They're farming six hectares of hemp, they have some sheep and grow a little bit of lucerne.
"They process that hemp, so that it's ready to go into a building material for me.
"It's really an opportunity for farmers to earn a good income because they have the opportunity to value-add on farm."
Klara Marosszeky says there are few barriers preventing Australian farmers from growing low THC varieties of hemp, and she's optimistic a forum of Australia's state and federal health ministers will soon agree to allow the cultivation of low THC varieties for human consumption in Australia.
Canberra communique calls for more information on hemp issues
Tasmania's Industrial Hemp Association president Philip Reader is pushing to end a government ban on growing hemp for use as a human food.
He says the plant's potential is being thwarted by the politicians and bureaucrats.
Phil Reader is one of about 10 Tasmanian farmers growing low-THC hemp on about 100 hectares for Midland Seeds and EcoFibre Industries.
He says the latest communique from the Australian and New Zealand Ministers responsible for food regulation states they require further investigation by FSANZ of potential issues relating to the use of low THC hemp in food products.
"One of the things that's really concerning us too is that they've delayed the meeting another month to consider these issues," Phil Reader said.
"This seems to be a complete delaying tactic. It's now been taken out until June.
"If we're not careful, we're going to go through the whole process again. Nothing will be in place or change before the next growing season. This is totally unacceptable.
"We want a decision, and it is time. The facts are all out there.
"All the information is there in Australia and world-wide. We want a decision 'yes' or 'no' now."
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