There are misconceptions about hemp because of its association with marijuana for the past century. However, with the passage of time, the hemp cultivation is legal now, as Congress has finally passed the Hemp Cultivation Law on the agricultural bill in December 2019.
This is a great news for cotton manufacturers, since hemp produces two times as much fiber as cotton and uses much less water and pesticides. It also improves the soil while growing, grows faster, and can be harvested locally to provide a more affordable and eco-friendly source of hemp fiber for making fabric from.
To pacify the customers, the sustainability has to be kept in mind, the availability of hemp as a material choice is very useful. Levi Strauss, among many companies is promoting sustainability by incorporating hemp into their materials catalog.
Paul Dillinger, Head of Global Product Innovation for Levi’s stated, “our aim is to take this to the core of the line, to blend it into the line, to make this a part of the Levi’s portfolio.” The renowned clothing brand will be offering jeans made of 30% hemp and 70% cotton as a result of developed breakthrough technology which makes hemp as soft as cotton. After years of research, Levi is exchanging less sustainable cotton fiber for hemp in its jeans.
