Simple. Unlike other crops, industrial hemp doesn't require the use of chemicals to grow. The bulk of pesticides and insecticides are made from non-renewable fossil-fuels. "Cotton uses more pesticides than any other crop for which reliable statistics are known." (Guy Dauncey, 101 Cancer Solutions, 2007) Fossil fuels are required at every stage of production: The burning of fossil fuels in order to obtain the fossil fuels needed to create pesticides/insecticides, then transport pesticides/insecticides (in tanker trucks) and application (in planes and/or tractors) contributes significantly to greenhouse gas production as well as severely affecting land, water and human quality of life.
“The production of every standard cotton T-shirt deposits one-third of a pound of chemicals into the environment and consumes 1,740 US gallons of fresh water. Approximately 1.4 billion cotton T-shirts are sold in North America alone each year. Global 2001 cotton production was 23.52 million tons.”
“. . . [C]onventional cotton accounts for about 25 per cent of the global insecticides market by value and about 10 per cent of the pesticides market. Their use has contaminated water, poisoned farm workers, killed birds, fish and even farmers who use chemicals in order to get farm subsidies.” (Erin Kobayashi, Toronto Star, July 2007) Synthetic fibers such as polyester are made from polymeric resins derived from fossil fuels. "Every day the United States produces or imports 42 billion pounds of chemicals, with 90% procured from non-renewable fossil fuels. This is the equivalent of 623,000 gasoline tanker trucks each carrying 8,000 gallons - stretching from San Francisco to Washington DC and back if placed end to end. Global chemical production is expected to double every 25 years for the foreseeable future." (Michael P. Wilson. Green Chemistry in California. California Policy Research Center, University of California, 2006.)
"The review concluded that there is 'consistent evidence of the health risks to patients with exposure to pesticides,' naming brain cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer and leukemia among a broad range of negative health effects." (Dr. Margaret Sanbord, et al. "Pesticides Literature Review." Ontario College of Family Physicians, April 23, 2004.) Human lives are lost, quality of life decreases, wildlife perish and healthy soil deteriorates, with little benefit to any. Once the fabric is made, garment construction leaves a remarkable carbon footprint. ". . . The typical T-shirt has cotton yarn and often fabric that is manufactured in the United States and then the fabric is sent to Central America and the cutting and sewing is done there. The biggest suppliers of T-shirts to the United States are Central American countries, particularly Honduras." (Erin Kobayashi, Toronto Star, July 2007) Also, from an water quality point of view please review the following document (1999) from the World Wildlife Federation: The Impact of Cotton on Freshwater Resources and Ecosytems (WWF)
Fabric made from industrial hemp, which is grown as a successful agricultural crop in Canada and does not require the use of pesticides (nor does it require much rainfall,) and also has properties that increases its value above and beyond cotton or polyester textiles. For instance, industrial hemp fabric is naturally anti-bacterial, and offers better tensile strength (four times stronger than cotton and twice the resistance to abrasion,) better UV protection and comfort compared to cotton uniforms making it suitable for work performed outside, or where durability and cleanliness are paramount. Military uniforms were once made of industrial hemp, for example, and one can speculate that workers in the Health industry, transportation and law enforcement sectors could also benefit.
From an economic perspective, the increased demand for hemp textiles could encourage the continued investment in a hemp processing facility in Canada. Thus creating a ‘seed to shelf’ manufacturing opportunity unique to Canada.
