Towards the foundation of the Hemp European Hub
On June 28, 80 participants gathered in Troyes for the second meeting of the Hemp European Hub. The project entered its final phase, and it was therefore time to close the technical groups. These spaces provided by the Hemp European Hub have enabled more than 250 people to be mobilized over a two-year period. The objective? Report on the needs of the various sectors in order to develop the hemp economy and make proposals for the future.
“This isn’t the end of a project, it’s the start of an adventure,” summarized Estelle Delangle, project manager, at the end of the discussions. This day was memorable because it was less about reviewing the work carried out by the groups and more about looking ahead to what the Hemp European Hub will be able to bring to the entire ecosystem.
The choice of cooperative governance for the Hemp European Hub
The ambition of the Hemp European Hub is to make hemp a lever for ecological, economic, and social transition in regions by creating a cooperative bioeconomy model applied to hemp.
This will therefore involve setting up a structure similar to a SCIC (société coopérative d’intérêt collectif, or cooperative society of collective interest), which has the advantage of allowing for both collegial and entrepreneurial operations.
The technical groups will therefore give way to other forums for discussion, but the momentum will continue.
Concrete actions to promote the development of hemp and local areas
The Hemp European Hub will have three main functions:
- Supporting the cooperative ecosystem around hemp
- Initiate and support collective projects that enable the development of hemp production, processing, and uses.
- Structure a cooperative bioeconomy model around hemp and roll it out to other regions in France and Europe.
Concrete collective actions will therefore soon be launched, focusing on urban renewal, sustainable food, and the relocation of a responsible textile industry.
Clear fundamental principles serving shared values
Over the course of the three-year project, several fundamental principles emerged within the consortium. These illustrate both the challenges and the added value of the future Hemp European Hub:
- The choice of cooperation as a lever for development;
- Like the plant itself, the choice of an ecosystem approach (territories, markets, value chains, types of actors, etc.)
- A deeply territorial positioning, but one that is not confined to any one place: openness and expansion must benefit everyone.
“What brings us together is promoting the plant and its uses, transforming its value, and sharing it fairly. These are the fundamentals of the Hemp European Hub,” concluded Benoit Savourat, President of Collectif 3 C Grand Est, which is leading the project.
This project is supported by the EAFRD as part of an Agricultural GO PEI. Its objective is to create a unifying and sustainable structure that will enable the hemp ecosystem to thrive in the Grand Est region and beyond. It began in early 2020 and will officially end on February 28. The Hemp European Hub will be established as an autonomous structure by the end of 2022.
