Maren Krings’ book H is for Hemp investigates industrial hemp: phytoremediation, carbon sequestration, and its potential in sustainable manufacturing practices
H is for Hemp by Maren Krings – A photography book and research on the climate mitigation use of industrial hemp
When German environmental photographer Maren Krings discovered what is hemp and the potentiality of the plant to reset the entire production system, she set out on a six-year journey to examine the active role of hemp in creating circular economies.
Lampoon interviewed Krings about her project, where she photographed more than 200 businesses in 26 countries on four continents and met more than 80 industry experts. «I was fascinated about climate mitigation solutions. A lot of the coverage we are finding nowadays is sending fewer hopeful messages. We are part of creating the problem but we are also part of potentially fixing it. The climate mitigation use of industrial hemp was the core of my research and I switched sides and became more of a researcher than a photographer».
H is for Hemp: an investigation on what is hemp and the potential use of the plant for the global sustainable agenda
Hemp can give very clear answers to our intended global sustainable agenda.
We have the STGs – the 17 sustainable goals set by the UN in 2015 –, the American Green Deal, set before the European Union with very little political consideration, the Paris Agreement that rules to keep the global warming to 1.5 degrees and the agenda 2030: they sound wonderful on paper but we have really little activity that have yielded into real tangible actions – and this is when hemp comes in.
Hemp is not a silver bullet to suddenly fulfill every goal but it goes to the core of our industries and our practices – from producing food, to making paper and the sustainable manufacturing of textiles.
Hemp’s adaptability presents opportunities as a raw material in advanced technologies as well as for developing nations, as highlighted in a recent report by UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: the expanding hemp market provides substantial economic prospects for all countries. Its renewability adds a sustainable dimension, as nations aim to bolster their economies while prioritizing environmental preservation.
More than half of the global output comes from just four nations: China, France, Canada, and the United States.
The prevailing stigma around hemp – how to make up for 80 years of banning on the most resourceful plant
One obstacle hindering global trade is the prevailing stigma attached to hemp, largely due to its association with cannabis. Despite lacking intoxicating properties, industrial hemp faces legal ambiguities in many countries, a challenge the report suggests must be addressed by governments to facilitate its growth.
A widespread misunderstanding links hemp and marijuana due to their shared affiliation with the cannabis family. In the 1970s, the entire cannabis species was categorized as a Schedule I Drug. This classification portrayed the entire plant as a substance prone to abuse with no recognized medical utility. Although such perceptions might have held some validity for marijuana, a viewpoint that is undergoing rapid transformation, it was inaccurate to lump hemp into the same classification.
«It used to be the most illegal and forbidden plant of the whole plant, and now we are 80 years – almost three generations of people – behind. We made new raw materials and labeled hemp as completely illegal so it disappeared from all of the branches of the industries. And now, after all the knowledge that we have on what hemp is and what it does, we are turning back to rebuilding this industry that stopped almost a century ago» Krings pointed out.
Hemp as the most versatile crop: planting industrial hemp for the phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils
«We don’t consider ourselves part of the natural system so it is very easy for us to destroy and we don’t realize that we are doing it to ourselves. It is a safeguarding of ancient cultural practices and old knowledge and it is bringing back the connection to Mother Earth».
Throughout the course of history, humans have had a longstanding connection with hemp: it is highly probable that hemp constituted the inaugural agricultural crop, with indications of its utilization in textiles dating back to 8.000 BC. Hemp was cultivated for its fibers and seeds; nowadays hemp can be transformed into a diverse range of products, such as food supplements, clothing, rope, shelter, ink, and modern commodities like biofuel, hemp-derived biomaterials, and capsules.
Hemp efficiency in water usage compared to cotton and its ability to absorb more carbon dioxide per hectare than other crops and many trees, makes it well-suited for phytoextraction and phytoremediation, excelling at extracting toxic elements from soil.
Phytoremediation involves a biological restoration method utilizing specific plants to sequester soil pollutants through their root systems, effectively extracting them from the soil. Industrial hemp possesses an inherent capability to accumulate metals and metalloids in both its shoots and roots, forming stable complexes and compounds with these elements’ ions, primarily accumulating pollutants in its underground parts, while its stems and seeds, used for high-value product production, remain largely free of contaminants.
Utilizing all parts of the hemp plant minimizes waste and pollution, offering a stark contrast to other crops that contribute to ecological footprints through discarded parts. Countries embracing hemp cultivation could establish sustainable manufacturing systems, fostering rural growth and economic diversification.
Hemp as a tool to rethink the industrial system: hemp is a natural fiber so it’s not about perfection; it’s about making things in the most sustainable way
With all the technological advancements and the implementation of AI, we have all the knowledge to make products according to high standards. Talking from the industry side, it poses a lot of challenges because we have to work with a plant that hasn’t been used for a long time: the industrial circuit is based on speed, high-standards and long-lasting perfection – that’s not hemp. Hemp comes with irregularities, with the knots and the bumps of a natural fiber.
Our wish for perfection has brought all the problems that we are experiencing and desperately trying to fix with minimal efforts: environmental and air pollution, poor working conditions, soil contamination and plastic invasion.
Upon reflecting on the detrimental effects of polyester and plastic use in our contemporary society, Krings highlighted the vicious cycle we, as individuals, are all part of: «Consider the textile industry and the fossil-based raw materials: it can come out a fine and flawless fiber from polyester, with no knot or dot or irregularities unless there is a production mistake. That perfection carries within it a big concern: we don’t think about the whole production cycle as long as we have a perfect product at the end of the production chain. Polyester can be recycled but at the end we still find the same plastic repurposed for other uses – it has been repositioned, but it’s still around, and will, eventually, pollute, like the rest of it».
Hemp is a circular plant: it is considered a zero-waste raw material because processing avoids the release of harmful chemicals into the environment and at the end of its lifecycle, as it is 100% biodegradable.
H is for Hemp: the world’s first book made from Hahnemühle’s hemp paper
When printing a book, the raw materials of choice are often the cheapest options. Krings made an evaluation in terms of how much expenses would eventually add up to the environment and decided to opt for Hahnemühle’s hemp paper.
«When publishing a book, it’s usually money that steer the decision we make. We don’t think about the consequences in terms of the costs of production, the water that we waste and for how long these products will circulate after we’re done using them. Hemp paper was a conscious decision in line with the knowledge about the plant that the book carries within» explained Krings.
H is for Hemp is the world’s first book printing paper made using Hybrid Hemp paper from hemp fibers grown in Europe using a completely sustainable manufacturing system, involving a papermill with pure spring water running since 1584. Hahnemühle’s hemp paper consists of a composition of 60% hemp and 40% cotton, resulting in a tactile and distinct feel, responding differently to the printing process while maintaining high quality inherent to its unique material composition. The final look of the product is influenced by the pure color of the fiber.
H is for Hemp was printed in collaboration with Elanders Germany on an HP PageWide and Indigo Commercial Press, with the content of the book printed on Hybrid Hemp 80gsm rolls using the HP PageWide T250HD. The covers were instead printed in sheets on 280gsm Hybrid Hemp paper using the HP Indigo sheet-fed digital press.
Maren Krings
Maren Krings is photographer, hemp industry consultant and author of the encyclopedia H is for Hemp. Her photographic work entails documentary photography and visual-storytelling with focus on environmental concerns and sustainability.
Hahnemühle FineArt, Inc.
A paper manufacturing company located in the Relliehausen district of Dassel, Germany. In 2008, Hahnemühle started a production line with highly renewable crops, marked by the introduction of the Bamboo paper range and has expanded to encompass papers crafted from Hemp, Agave, and Sugar Cane.
