Federal Funding for Hemp Building Standards

A project to establish standards for the hemp building and construction industry has been awarded federal funding. The Hemp Building Institute received over $6 million as part of nearly $160 million in EPA grants aimed at reducing climate pollution in construction materials. This funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and supports the Biden administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which promotes the use of clean construction materials for federal projects.

Project Goals and Benefits

The EPA-funded project will develop environmental project declarations and lifecycle assessments (LCAs) for hemp-based construction materials. It aims to streamline and standardize LCAs, making the process more cost-effective and reliable. This initiative seeks to address variability in current assessments and enhance the scalability of hemp materials in construction.

Jacob Waddell, president of the Hemp Building Institute, emphasizes the need for large-scale production and uniform standards to improve market access for climate-friendly materials. Todd Hughes, a project partner, notes that establishing standards could also enable hemp farmers to collect carbon credits.

Industry Impact and Challenges

The project is seen as a significant step forward for the industrial hemp industry, which advocates believe has substantial environmental and economic potential. However, there are concerns about regulatory barriers, including a recent amendment in the House farm bill that could redefine hemp and impact its growth.

Advocates argue for separating industrial hemp from consumable hemp to reduce regulatory hurdles and support the industry’s growth.