The Benefits of Hemp for Carbon Sequestration

The rapid growth of hemp makes it one of the most efficient tools for converting CO2 to biomass, more so than agroforestry.

Hemp plants

are capable of breathing in four times more carbon dioxide than trees. A single acre of hemp can absorb up to 10 tons of carbon from the atmosphere. This is why hemp farms have been chosen as an effective method for eliminating CO2. Hemp is a natural carbon sink.

Industrial hemp farms are known to store between 8 and 15 tons of CO2 per hectare of crop. This is in comparison to forests, which typically capture 2 to 6 tons of CO2 per hectare per year, depending on climate, region and stage of growth. Additionally, while a crop such as cotton requires about 1500 gallons of water for every pound of product, hemp needs less than half and yet produces 200 to 250% more fiber on the same amount of land, according to Rebekah Shaman, managing director of the British Hemp Alliance. Hemp Blockchain has developed Carbon Protocol, which is ahead of existing protocols and methodologies in terms of precision and trust. This makes it easier for sustainable farmers to add hemp to their annual rotation and also helps regenerate the soil due to the nutrients of the hemp plant.

It uses blockchain technology to measure and report on carbon emissions and CO2 removal from hemp farms. Furthermore, since hemp does not require pesticides to grow and flourish, hemp is beneficial for soil health and can produce a wider range of crops. HEMP is also an incredibly fast-growing plant, taking only four months to reach maturity without the need for pesticides (whose production emits, you guessed it, a large amount of carbon dioxide). There has been a small shift towards zero-carbon buildings, using hemp and wood fiber in construction. The solution that Hemp Blockchain has developed can become an industry standard for measuring the net carbon footprint.

The industrial hemp plant absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows, and the lime powder absorbs even more gas from climate change. HEMP Blockchain is a Utah-based technology company that creates advanced cloud-based solutions to support the growth of the industrial hemp industry. The product, which the company calls the “Carbon Protocol”, automatically collects data from sensors monitoring carbon or critical points throughout the hemp cultivation process. This is why carbon sequestration methods such as growing hemp farms are supported by blockchain technology, which is likely to affect all sectors of the world in one way or another. He runs the Good Hemp farm in North Devon and sells a range of food and beverage products made from hemp. HEMP could also be used for the production of sustainable bioplastics and engineered woods that can replace fiberglass and aluminum, which are high in carbon.