Hemp4Textiles: Fibre hemp for textile applications (Hemp4Textiles)

This project wants to investigate how the fiber yield and quality of hemp can be controlled for use in high-quality textile applications. The emphasis will be on optimizing the cultivation technique, harvesting method including further processing on existing flax processing technology and the retting process, a key process that depends on various microbial populations in the field to break down pectin and other components that bind the fibers to the woody core.

This project aims to achieve sustainable cultivation and processing of hemp for textile applications in Flanders and Europe. Only by obtaining a significantly better and more homogeneous fiber quality, hemp will be able to find its way into the Flemish agricultural sector as a fully-fledged arable crop.