| Abstract |
Hemp cultivation in Italy, widely cultived in the early twentieth century, suffered a gradual abandonment following the advent of synthetic fibers and the application of drug regulation. Currently, thanks to the renewed regulatory framework (Law No. 242 of 2 December 2016), the conditions have been created to allow the expansion of this thousand uses culture cultivated both for textile use and for alternative uses of technical fiber. However, the hemp chain, despite its potential, is not currently organized because the market is still not well-defined. Its reintroduction into farming ordinances requires an agrotechnics updating. In this paper, the textile canvas value chain model has been tested in Campania (southern Italy). The development possibilities of the hemp chain in the textile world were examined, studying methods aimed at the revaluation of agronomic techniques starting with the choice of fiber varieties and the adoption of different systems of harvesting, conditioning, maceration and transformation of the hemp plant, with the aim of measuring the relevance of culture for businesses and territories in a sustainable competitive perspective. In terms of value, a suitable plant engineering needs to be developed, and to this aim an experimetal project is in progress which would bring silk to hemp in order to offer to customers high-quality products. The study suggests that a competitive value chain for hemp can only be achieved by high-value added raw material for specialized niche markets. Furthermore, the agronomic experimentation should allow the identification of seed and fiber-oriented varieties to optimize yields and fiber quality and so this double destination cultivation could ensure a satisfactory economic result for the manufactures. On the other hand, the use of hemp as a textile fiber is also an alternative to other natural fibers such as cotton. The textile hemp chain does not produce really polluting refuse or difficult to dispose of, and does not cause ecological damage while simultaneously improves the environment in which it is cultivated. It therefore represents not only a business opportunity but also a model of sustainable development. |