H is for Hemp – Maren Krings

H is for Hemp is a research publication by photojournalist and climate impact storyteller Maren Krings dedicated to the global industrial hemp sector. Developed through international fieldwork across four continents, the volume documents the technologies, businesses, research initiatives, and production systems contributing to the contemporary development of hemp as an industrial material.

The book combines photography, interviews, case studies, and data visualization to examine hemp within the broader context of climate adaptation, resource management, construction, textiles, agriculture, and circular production systems. More than 200 hemp-related projects and over 80 expert interviews are assembled into an encyclopedic survey of the sector, offering perspectives from entrepreneurs, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers working across different regions of the world.

A defining characteristic of this Limited Collector’s Edition is its production on specially developed hemp paper, created without the use of tree-based fibers. The publication represents an early application of hemp paper for digital inkjet book printing, aligning the physical production of the volume with the material systems explored in its content.

Alongside technical and industrial documentation, Krings incorporates field notes and travel observations gathered throughout her research journey. The publication situates hemp within discussions surrounding climate resilience, carbon reduction, regenerative agriculture, and material innovation. Subsequent research by the author has expanded into documentary filmmaking, including investigations into carbon-negative construction using hemp-lime materials in post-war reconstruction and disaster-response contexts.

Limited Collector’s Edition printed on tree-free hemp paper.

[ read the article ]

[ back to the bookshop ]