Hemp, standing out with its wide range of uses and environmentally friendly features, is shown among the strategic raw materials of the future. At the Hemp for a Sustainable Future Workshop organized by the Aegean Exporters’ Associations and the Izmir Branch of the Chamber of Textile Engineers (TMO) at the EİB service building, it was emphasized that Türkiye can be an important actor in the global hemp market, which is expected to reach 100 billion dollars by 2050.
Çağlar Bağcı, Vice President of the Aegean Apparel Exporters’ Association, said: “Although neglected for many years, hemp is not only an environmentally friendly product, but also a product with high potential in economic and strategic terms with its low water requirement, soil enrichment feature, recyclable structure and contribution to ecological balance.” Bağcı also underlined that hemp can be preferred not only in textiles but also in many other sectors such as automotive, building materials, paper industry and composite products thanks to its lightness, durability and fire-resistant structure.
Pointing out that the European Green Deal regulations, which will enter into force in 2026, make it inevitable for the sector to turn to natural fibers, he said; “In this context, hemp will not only be an environmentally friendly alternative, but also a critical solution for our industry in the process of compliance with new regulations.”
“The size of the product market including hemp will exceed 100 billion dollars”
Nebahat Kılıç, Founder of Marka Textile Consultancy Company, said that according to the International Energy Agency, the size of the product market including hemp will exceed 100 billion dollars by 2050; “Currently, China and France stand out as the most influential countries in this market. Türkiye has great potential to get a share from this. Hemp is a product that can be integrated into bioplastics, textiles, building materials, food, paper, compost and energy sectors. We need to raise awareness on this subject.”