History of Hemp
Hemp is one of the world's oldest and most versatile plants. Its first recorded use dates back to the Egyptians in the 16th century B.C. and was domesticated from a wild plant by the Chinese who developed breeding, farming and processing techniques. The fibre was used for textiles and the seeds were used for both food and medicine.
Herodotus records that the Ancient Greeks used hemp to manufacture high quality fabrics and by the 9th century hemp was being used to make rope and textiles in Europe. In the following centuries, the seeds and
resulting oil were used as a cure for skin and respiratory diseases, jaundice and colic.
When the art of papermaking arrived in Europe from China in the 14th century, hemp was used in the manufacture of paper during the heyday of European maritime expansion hemp fibre was of vital importance to both the British and Spanish fleets in the manufacture of ropes.
In the 18th century cotton displaced hemp from the textile market and paper was produced from cheaper fibres. Hempseeds, a by-product of
the fibre, fell into oblivion along with the stalks. By the early 20th
century, hemp had become a niche crop in most industrialised countries in the western world.
1990s revival
Hemp cultivation for food and fibre has more than doubled between 1990 and 1997. E.C. subsides for hemp cultivation were introduced in the early '90s with the first cultivation licenses being issued in Holland, Germany, Italy and the U.K. This re-emergence meets the rising demand from ethical and environmentally friendly consumers for hemp
textiles, body-care and health products. Hemp is both biodegradable and non-toxic. A large proportion of world chemical production is used to grow cotton.
