Did you know… the fashion industry is responsible for approximately eight to ten percent of global carbon emissions, and nearly twenty percent of wastewater? Additionally, unless your garments are Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand or ethically certified, the children and adults who made your garments will have likely been paid pittance and have worked in hazardous environments. How can we counteract these issues?
Meet hemp, it is the “sober cousin” of marijuana. It has been used in clothing, ropes, and sails for decades, and rumor has it the word “canvas” is derived from “cannabis”. Hemp is a renewable resource, takes as little as 90 days to cultivate, requires very little water – especially when compared to cotton, and produces significantly more fibre per acre. It supplies its own nutrients to the soil, which replenishes its fertility, and needs no toxic chemicals, pesticides, or insecticides to grow.
One hemp clothing company I love is AFENDS. AFENDS was born in 2006 in Bryon Bay, Australia by Jono Salfield and Declan Wise. Keen on investing in hemp research and development, they have purchased 100 acres of farmland with the goal of building a hemp processing factory. To learn more about AFENDS, listen to Pru Chapman’s interview with Deco and Jono: https://pruchapman.com/…/afends-jono-salfield-declan-wise.
Photo: Sian Mair wearing AFENDS ‘Maisie’ Hemp Corduroy Pants, by Joanna at Kakaruwai Photography.