The U.S. hemp industry is still in its early stages. The crop was only legalized in 2018, and it’s still going through some growing pains. Federal authorities are now giving researchers guidance on where their efforts will do the most good for the industry.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its Hemp Research Needs Roadmap, which highlights areas where industry stakeholders want more data. The agency also announced that it has invested $10 million in hemp studies at Oregon State University that are meant to spur economic development in the western U.S.
According to the report, the hemp industry has great potential but is still in its formative stage. Thanks to cannabis prohibition, industry knowledge stalled in the 1970s and has yet to catch up with the rest of the world.
The report also notes the needs of hemp investors and stakeholders are still unclear at this time. It calls for research into new applications and innovations for hemp production while facilitating new hemp industry sectors.
The report focused on four key areas: Breeding and genetics, best practices for production, biomanufacturing for end uses and transparency and consistency.
“These priority research areas cut across the entire hemp supply chain and are vital to bolstering hemp industry research,” said the agency in a news release.
In the area of breeding and genetics, the USDA said that stakeholders want more research in producing high-quality, consistent and stable varieties of hemp. This includes research into evaluating current cultivars, mapping populations, attaining genetic stability, understanding the storage and flow of pollen and identifying key differences in varieties. It would also include research in the development of different varieties and traits that would be suited for various regions and beneficial for specific end uses.
In the area of best practices, the USDA reports that research is needed to optimize production practices and systems. This would include research in best practices for specific regions, understanding pest and disease management and identifying sustainable production practices to determine hemp’s place in the nation’s greater agricultural landscape. Labor requirements will also need to be evaluated to optimize efficiency.
In the area of manufacturing for end uses, the agency said that while hemp can be used to develop a wide range of products, research is needed to identify the most efficient end uses with the highest demand. It calls for more research in the integration of end-use goals throughout every stage of production, optimization of processing methods for specific end uses, evaluating consumer needs and comparing the properties of hemp to other feedstock commodities.
In the area of transparency and consistency, the USDA reports that stakeholders want to see the development of producer and consumer education programs. The agency said researchers should be focused on advancing education on how hemp impacts consumers’ daily lives, analyzing the needs of farmers in specific regions and developing industry standards for food, feed, fiber, chemical and other industrial uses of hemp. It also calls for the involvement of diverse communities, including underserved communities and small-scale producers, to better understand needs in smaller regions.
The USDA also called for collaborations between private and public sectors to accelerate learning and utilize interdisciplinary approaches that could benefit the industry.
The agency said the public sector can track hemp research and make sure that none of it is redundant while offering initiatives to expand market sectors. It can also facilitate the sharing of knowledge through variety and production guides and identify sustainable practices.
Meanwhile, the private sector can develop and test marketing and promotion of hemp materials while identifying which hemp products meet demands in specific regions. It can also facilitate partnerships and the development of innovative products.
The USDA also called for the creation of a public-private hemp consortium that will encourage positive interactions between industry stakeholders, advance opportunities, streamline research endeavors, improve risk management and pool resources to address challenges. The agency says the USDA Biopreferred Program and the National Industrial Hemp Council should be involved.
Finally, the report calls for researchers to include “significant attention to international engagement” in their studies. While the U.S. has only recently legalized hemp, other countries have been producing and innovating the crop for decades. “Much can also be learned through bilateral and multilateral development collaborations,” said the USDA.
The report was announced in honor of the second annual National Biobased Products Day. The agency said the effort to bolster the hemp industry will “advance U.S. global competitiveness” in response to the Biden administration’s executive order to advance biotechnology in the U.S.
“Growing demand for biobased products, like those from hemp, creates potential for added-value use in food, feed, fiber and other industrial products that can improve the livelihoods of U.S. producers and offer consumers alternative biobased products,” said the USDA.
The report was built upon stakeholder input gathered during the 2022 National Hemp Industry Research Needs Workshop hosted by the USDA and Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center. The workshop featured leaders from academia, industry and government who met to discuss the challenges and opportunities for hemp researchers. The goal of the organizers was to identify how science can help cement the nation’s place in the global hemp market.
The agency also used the report’s release to announce that a $10 million investment from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture was recently given to Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center. The center will work with 13 native tribes to encourage hemp industry development in the Western U.S. with the goal of increasing economic development in the region.
The USDA says the hemp industry’s survival will rely on the public sector’s ability to leverage more land-grant university and USDA agency partnerships like this one.