5

HEMP LEADERS
Steve Allin: International Hemp Building Association
Hana Gabrielova: Hempoint, Czech Republic
Morris Beegle: NoCo Hemp Expo, USA
Sergiy Kovalenkov: Hempire, Ukraine
Dhiraj Shah: Shah Hemp Inno-Ventures, Nepal
A special reprint from the pages of HempToday

HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders 1

Steve Allin

Globetripper
Hemp builder Steve Allin talks about farm
& family, rock 'n' roll, the industrys future
and his latest projects: Rebuilding with hemp
after earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal.
Steve Allin pioneered the International Hemp Building Association
(IHBA), which he serves as director. An author, teacher and consultant on
ecological building, Steve has been building with hemp and promoting hemps
use in construction all over the world for the last 20 years. He is currently
involved in projects to rebuild with hemp in the post-earthquake areas of
Haiti and Nepal, while maintaining a busy workshop and speaking schedule.
Steve lives in Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland.
HempToday: Whats life like on the
farm this time of year?
Steve Allin: My farm is mainly wild land.
At the moment its just doing its thing
without my intervention, but this year has
so far been really cold and lately really dry
but its Ireland so you can never predict
the weather.
HT: How did you get involved in the
Haiti project?
SA: I met Ritva Laurila as a participant
on the first Hemp Building Course I
taught in Finland in 2013. She spent
many years living in Haiti in the 80s and
90s after she qualified as an architect
and has a daughter who is half Haitian.
She asked me whether I would consider
travelling to Haiti to help establish the
system there to alleviate the situation
resulting from the earthquake in 2010.
It just so happened that I had previously
written a piece in an IHBA newsletter
about the earthquake in Haiti and how
hempcrete would have been a safer option
and could be so, in the future.
HT: What did you find when you got
there?
SA: I knew nothing about Haiti then
and so was largely unprepared for what I
would experience. When Ritva invited me
it was as part of the research for a project
she was proposing to the Finnish govern2 HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders

ment aid fund working with the Haitian

Resource Development Association,
which is directed by her friend Jacques
Bartoli. My first visit was really to see
what was possible and how we would go
about putting Ritvas plan into action. I
had no emotional connection to the place
initially, having virtually no knowledge
of the countrys history. Apart from the
fact it was part of Hispaniola, the island
discovered by the slave trader Christopher Columbus and where he perpetrated
genocide on the native population. It was
by reading the novel by Isabel Allende
The Island under the Sea that I eventually understood the national history and
culture. Another book, Fault Lines by
Beverly Bell brought me up to date on
the situation in the country since the
earthquake the shock to the populace,
the damaging results of U.S. intervention
and the invasion by the forces of the
U.N. Haiti is one of the poorest countries
in the western hemisphere and though I
have experienced poverty on a large scale
in India, thats nothing compared to the
situation in Haiti today.
HT: What are the goals of the project?
SA: Our project is based on the concept
of establishing a mobile school centered
around the growing and processing of hemp
initially to build with, and then to develop
other materials such as fibre and food once

we have a supply from the agricultural side.

We are training a core group in the basic
skills involved with designing and building small houses for people in a variety of
regions in the country. So far, weve identified our core group, begun the construction
training and planted the first crops.
HT: And the project in Nepal?
SA: In Nepal the situation was quite
different. Dhiraj Shah (Shah Hemp
Inno-Ventures SHIV) came to me via
the internet as part of his research into
repairing Nepal after the more recent
earthquake (2014). Having returned
from Portugal with his wife Nivedita as a
reaction to the earthquake, Dhiraj wanted
to bring an ecological and sustainable
solution to the process of rebuilding the
hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed in the quake. Having discovered
the idea of building with hemp and that
it might be an earthquake proof system,
and then finding me, Dhiraj quite quickly
identified how the wild hemp growing
throughout the Himalayas might be processed and used to make hempcrete.
HT: Where does the project stand now?
SA: Dhiraj got me out to Nepal in February and we started work on a couple of his
projects. The first one is to use the material locally to repair the homes of villagers
in the remote mountainous regions where
people are still living in fear of more
quakes, and as a result are sleeping in tents
and building makeshift shacks from rescued materials from their former homes
to cook and shelter in during the day.
HT: What are the logistical challenges
in this situation?
SA: This idea will have to be well
thought out as the terrain in the north of

Eventually we need
to house more affordably
the more needy in our
communities.
STEVE ALLIN

Steve Allin with his dog Eddie, near his homestead in County Kerry, Ireland.

Steve Allin
the country where the earthquake hit the
hardest makes it very difficult to transport
materials around across and up and
down! But the need is great across a large
region there.
HT: Tell us about the other project with
SHIV.
SA: This has implications for the new
build sector in Nepal. Its based around
the family home base of Janakpur in the
south of the country. Here, Dhirajs father,
Dr. Ram K. Shah, has his trauma surgery
practice, and is in the process of building
a new hospital on the outskirts of the city.
The main structure is already completed
but we are incorporating hempcrete into
the building of the waiting area and 4 accommodation rooms for staff. In conjunction with plans for solar panels on the
roof to reduce energy costs, we will also
incorporate other green materials for
shading to further reduce energy needs
especially for cooling.
HT: If we look at development of
materials for hemp-lime building, how
do you see the market shaping up?
SA: Naturally all of us involved in the
this industry would like to see growth
in the use and uptake of hempcrete, but
of course this cannot happen fast for
several reasons the primary one being
that there is still no hemp supply in many
countries. Where there is a supply the
production of hurds is largely as a result
of fibre production for bio-composites,
with hurds being the by-product.
HT: How to get past that situation
where hemp building is in the back seat?
SA: Hemp construction is the type of
sector that could expand quickly if several
large projects were to happen simultaneously; however we would still be limited
by the present production of any particular years yield. More widespread use of
hempcrete or hemp fibre insulation will
need action on both fronts, that of supply
and projects. We need both the chicken
and the egg at the same time.
HT: What are the other challenges to
expansion of the hemp building sector?
SA: Transportation. Within Europe there
is a dense population living in a large
area which provides a well connected
market. This makes it economical, so far,
to transport lightweight materials such as
hemp hurds several hundred miles. But in
regions such as the American or Australiasian continents it is another matter.
The massive distances between farmers
and markets makes it hard to offer an
affordable system. In many cases we have
to start out with more expensive iconic
projects that are financed by those lucky
4 HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders

enough to pay for the notoriety of being

first to be able to produce the right
promotion
HT: And more broadly, looking
forward, how do you see hemp buildings
potential?
SA: Eventually we need to house more
affordably the more needy in our communities, or just the Joe Soaps. For that
we need to make the system cheaper with
simplification and the use of locally supplied materials.

Hemp construction
is the type of sector
that could expand
quickly if several large
projects were to
happen simultaneously.
HT: But isnt it all ultimately destined
to be just another big business?
SA: I think the best model is the one of
Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) where a local builder plans his
projects a year or so ahead and makes
deals with local farmers to supply the
hemp on an annual basis. This method
has so many advantages and can be built
around an inexpensive collection of tools
and machinery. This is what we envisage
in both Haiti and Nepal.
HT: Since youre everybody elses guru
now, who were yours?
SA: I would like to think I was everyones
guru but thats not really the case. The
people who I learnt most from by seeing
their work were Laurent Goudet who
invented the concept of spraying hempcrete, and Charles Colgnard, a skilled
hemp plasterer, both of whom live and
work in Brittany, France.
I had the pleasure of meeting Yves
Khun shortly before he died when he
came to give a presentation at the 3rd International Hemp Building Symposium
in Yverdon les Bain, Switzerland in 2012.
As one of the originators, it was he who
really showed the world how beautiful a
building could be made with hempcrete.
He was also very aware of the holistic
effects of using such a material and living
around it.
HT: Which do you enjoy more: building
or teaching?

SA: I still love building with hemp but

the feedback I get from teaching is very
rewarding. The physical demands of
working and building leave me aching at
the end of the day as I get older.
HT: Aside from building, what are your
other interests?
SA: Two things: My family and friends,
and music. The more I travel teaching,
the more I value where I live and my
beautiful family.
HT: What do you read?
SA: I love getting lost in a book whether
a novel or a more serious subject which
intrigues me but recently I have been
focusing on rock n roll biographies such
as those of John Lydon, Robert Plant and
Chrissie Hynde. I am currently reading
a book by a guy named Roger Rea who
was a Swiss hippy bus driver on the Road
East from Europe to Goa and back.
HT: Speaking of musicians, of all those
who died in early 2016, whos the biggest
loss and why?
SA: David Bowie even though I was a
fan of Lemmy from when I saw him in
Hawkwind back in 1973 and as a D.J. in
Goa in the 80s. Prince was a godsend.
Just with the opening few bars of one
of his songs, the dance floor would fill
up with all the young and older ladies.
The residents of the squat I first lived in
when I left home were all huge Bowie
fans from the days when there were only
a few hundred of them crammed into a
small upstairs room in a pub in London
somewhere. Throughout his career he
pushed the boundaries and it was always
music from the edge that attracted me
about rock n roll in the first place. I was
never lucky enough to see him perform
but I felt a huge loss when I learnt about
his passing in the same way I did when
John Lennon and John Peel (famous
British radio D.J.) died. The fact that
Bowie was also a great guy increases the
feeling.
HT: How did you first get into hemp?
SA: Before I returned to live in Ireland,
the publication of Jack Herers book, The
Emperor Wears No Clothes was creating
quite a stir. The inclusion of the information about IsoChanvre in a later edition
coincided with me building my own
house, and so I imported some to use as a
plaster. And thereby hangs a tale.
HT: Did you ever do anything illegal
regarding cannabis?
SA: Inhaled!!??
HT: What makes you angry?
SA: Greed and cruelty.

Hana Gabrielov

Building
Hemps Future
Despite market hiccup, investment needed
to prepare for a prosperous hemp future
Hana Gabrielova is CEO, Hempoint Ltd., one of Europes pioneering
and most innovative hemp food companies. Hana is a widely recognized
expert and consultant on everything from hemp farming to patient focused
certification (PFC) for medical cannabis,through her affiliation with the
Prague-based International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute.

can take years. Farmers and others in the

hemp industry need to better organize
themselves to pressure the EC to do
something to advance hemp. Lawmakers
still need to be educated about hemp so
they can create responsible, progressive
laws to support the industrys growth.

HempToday: Youve been around hemp

for a long time. Whats your analysis of
the current situation with hemp food.
The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) has predicted fast growth
for Europe and beyond. Are you feeling
it at Hempoint? What does the market
look like now from your perspective?
Hana Gabrielova: I agree with EIHA
that the Euro hemp food market is growing and this will not stop. But were still
importing around half the seed needed in
Europe from China and Canada, which
is not environmentally sustainable over
long term. So there is obvious demand for
locally produced seed across the Europe.
The recent crash in the CBD market had a really negative influence on
the European market and its financial
stability. Unfortunately, thats blocked
the needed investment in infrastructure
and temporarily stopped the growth of
Europes hemp fields, which before that
were nicely expanding.
Despite the current slowdown, and for
the future, we desperately need to build
the infrastructure to be able to harvest
and process growing amounts of the crop.

HT: As you mentioned, theres also an imbalance in the situation regarding hemp
seed in Europe, where imports from as far
away as China and Canada are required to
cover at least 50% of demand. Doesnt that
represent a real market opportunity for
certified seed growers?
HG: Of course its a great place to start.
And Europe should grow hemp for her
needs first. But again, we need infrastructure to be able to do it. Farmers need to
be educated. Governments need to be
educated.

HT: What does the current legal environment look like for the hemp industry? What advances need to be made in
this respect?
HG: In many countries sales of hemp foods
is still not legal or is in a grey area. Thats
due to the fact that the market growth was
so fast and so big that governments were
not flexible enough to react in a positive
way. So were still missing the neces-

sary clinical proof and regulations which

will fully, and legally, open those markets.
Standards and quality control in production are key to getting this legislation in
place. Without a focus on that were not
able to produce the products legally in all
EU countries because there are no EUwide guidelines set for THC levels in food
products. This is a big problem for all hemp
industry players. Some countries are more
progressive than others at the national level
so the products are more or less accepted.
But with zero tolerance products for THC
in food in many places -- because of antiquated laws and attitudes toward hemp, and
a lack of EU guidance -- its not always
easy to put hemp products on the market.
HT: You mentioned the CBD market
crash -- that was mainly brought on
after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration warned some CBD marketers
in the USA last year about dubious
health claims they were making on their
products; this really hit the Euro materials suppliers hard. Where does that
situation stand now? What effect did
the drop in demand from USA have on
fields planted this year?
HG: Well, some farmers didn't sow
hemp this year because they have stocks
of hemp flowers piled up from last years
harvest. Those who did plant put in less
hemp because of the instability on the
market. The discussion about imports of
hemp extract to the USA from Europe
is still open. In Europe we are trying
to open the discussion with European
Commision but this is a process which

HT: Your work with the International

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Institute
(ICCI) is centered on Patient Focused
Certification (PFC). What does that
mean? What are the overall goals of
ICCIs PFC initiative?
HG: The concept of PFC started with
Americans for Safe Access, an NGO
working to provide high-standard cannabis to those suffering from different
illnesses in the USA. PFC audits growers
and manufacturing and distribution
operations to ensure that their processes
deliver safe medical cannabis. The goal is
to make sure that the whole chain of production is closely controlled in order to
ensure the products are safe for humans.
HT: What other issues is ICCI addressing? What are the organizations other
key initiatives and goals?
HG: ICCI also works on meta analysis
regarding clinical studies of cannabis
-- to continue the process of discovery
regarding the many positive benefits the
HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders 5

lower energy consumption. Its a proven

material for producing bio-plastics instead
of the petroleum-based plastics we now
use, and which create a huge environmental
problem. Eating hemp foods can prolong
our lives and save our health.
More importantly, hemp is perfect as
a component in local economic development. It can help revive the small, agrarian economic model if we set up systems
in which the hemp is grown, processed
and used as close to the fields as possible.
It could create a vast number of jobs. But
we have to overcome the mentality that
comes from 55 years of prohibition. That
limits the economic development hemp
promises -- and it still leaves hemp with
a cloud over it because of the drug war
that made people think of hemp and
marijuana as the same thing.
HT: Whats your analysis of the current market for certified organic hemp
products shaping up? Is there a growing
demand for organic hemp products in
Europe?
HG: I would like to see all hemp food
production made organic. The reason is
simple. Hemp is often planted for phytoremediation -- as a method of cleaning
up polluted land. That means as it grows
its absorbing heavy metals, pesticides,
etc. from the earth. So if we want to
eat healthy hemp food, it should not be
grown in a conventional way because its
difficult or even impossible to ensure the
highest quality. This is why the demand
for organic seeds is growing much faster
than the demand for conventional seeds.

Were still importing

around half the seed
needed in Europe from
China and Canada, which
is not environmentally
sustainable.
Hana Gabrielova
plant offers. The Institute has a strong
working background in data analysis that
can yield very important conclusions.
ICCI is also connected to many research
institutions and universities which participate in new clinical trials and studies
that can speed up the process of getting
cannabis into the medicinal mainstream.
HT: How do you see hemp fitting in as
6 HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders

an engine for economic development?

HG: This is the most powerful argument
for developing the hemp industry, but we
need to grow big amounts of hemp to fully
realize its potential to positively impact the
economy -- and human health. Why are we
still importing other materials that could
be replaced by hemp? Hemp can give us
everything from paper -- which will reduce
deforestation -- to healthy buildings with

HT: What will Hempoint look like five

years from now?
HG: I see a big need for more research
and education in hemp, so my strategy is
to develop the company in that direction.
There are still so many questions which
havent been answered. Im planning to start
further PhD studies this autumn at Mendel
University in Brno, where theyre researching all forms of cannabis intently, to further
expand my knowledge and to take my
knowledge into their program.
HT: What would be your advice to a
young entrepreneur who is interested in
starting a hemp business?
HG: Study it first, and study it deeply.
Then go to work at a hemp farm even if
you have to do it as a volunteer. Get close
to hemp products by eating hemp food,
and wearing clothing made of hemp
materials; attend some of the great hemp
building seminars that are out there.
Share your experience with others and
spread the word. Then think about what
you like to do, your background and how
you could build a hemp business based on
your skills, strengths and interests.

Morris Beegle

The Big Hemp Tent

NoCo founder sees hemp industry as unstoppable
Morris Beegle spent more than 20 years in the
American entertainment industry before turning his
attention to the growing U.S. market for ecological,
sustainable products. He is the founder and owner
of the Colorado Hemp Company (CHC), organizer of NoCo Expo, one of the premier U.S.-based
hemp industry trade shows, which held its third annual Expo in 2016. CHC also offers a wide range of
marketing, product and brand development services
for hemp-based producers and retailers. Morris is on
the business advisory council of the (U.S.) National
Hemp Association.
HempToday: Compare NoCo 2016 to 2015.
Morris Beegle: The event this year was significantly larger than last year. We moved from
13,000 square feet with 73-74 vendors and 1,300
attendees to 36,000 square feet, 130+ vendors
and 3,200 attendees. The number of industry
oriented people increased significantly as did attendance from consumers and the general public.
HT: What surprised you this past NoCo?
MB: Im not sure its so much of a surprise
but what continues to blow me away are the
number of really smart and passionate people
who increase in numbers at this event every
year. From industry pioneers to new blood and
energy from multiple sectors of industry who
are truly committed to the plant and pushing the boundaries of science, technology and
innovation. I cant tell you how gratifying and
exciting it is to see this happening.
HT: How do you see the demographics of the
hemp movement, and the growing industry?
MB: Heres whats amazing about the demographics: They are extremely diverse. We have
a very calculated approach to creating a big
tent in which everybody is welcome. We feel
this plant is important to all of humanity, and
we want everybody to have the opportunity
to experience and understand its importance
to our species and the health of the planet. Of
course we have the overall cannabis choir that
has been growing in numbers over the years. But
now were reaching consumers and businesses
from almost all the green, organic, sustainable,
holistic, alternative markets, as well as standard
petroleum-chemical-GMO driven industries
where folks are having a moral awakening about
the impacts of those products on the environment and health of society. We have a long way
to go to further penetrate all these demographics, but the good news is they all seem receptive.
HT: NoCos an obvious marriage of your
background in entertainment combined
with your passion for a sustainable future.
Do you see your business expanding around
this combination?

NoCo founder Morris Beegle

MB: Absolutely. Ive been in the music and
entertainment industries since the mid 1980s,
right out of high school. Being able to mix
music, education, advocacy, commerce, networking and interaction, and more than anything, the
awakening of consciousness I most certainly
believe there is a future in that. We will continue
to be involved in a variety of events and projects
that combine entertainment and sustainability.
HT: Aside from the barrier the DEA still
represents in the States, what do you think are
the other challenges facing industrial hemp
-- in Colorado and around North America?
What do you think the industry should really
be focused on over the next five years?
MB: There are three things outside of the DEA
and government policy follies that need to be
ironed out and put in place the next 5 years:
First, seed. Everyone needs access to certified
seed varieties from around the world to get the
domestic industry in the USA off the ground. At
the same time, the development of localized seed
breeding so that in the next 5-10 years, we have
a multitude of varieties for different areas and
climates of the country.
Second, we need infrastructure and processing; this is just beginning to be put into place.
Processing implementation of all the raw materials is key and needs to happen in conjunction
with manufacturing and product development.
Delivery and distribution channel development
beyond the internet is also key.
Finally, the industry obviously needs funding
and capital infusion. Weve seen the need for this
in the UK and Canada the last 15-20 years and
its no different here.
HT: The FDAs guidance to some hemp-health
re-sellers in the USA late last year has hemp
seed and oil players in Europe nervous, as
North America is a key export market for these
companies. How do you see that whole situation playing out with regard to health claims,

labeling, etc. for hemp products?

MB: This will be very interesting to watch. I
wish I could predict a positive outcome for all,
but I see it as being fairly messy and a pain in
the ass for the industry. In regards to health
claims, its pretty simple: We cannot not make
specific health or medical claims regarding hemp
products in the USA. The vast majority, if not
a consensus, believe that hemp related extract
products containing CBD and other cannabinoids are nutritional supplements, just like
vitamins, minerals, essential oils, medicinal herbs
and teas, etc., as long as there is low or no THC
in the product. If its non-psychoactive, and
these compounds are good for personal health
science is pretty clear that they are these are
nutritional supplements and should be classified
and regulated as such.
The FDA has unfortunately taken what
seems to be a position that is anti-science and
anti-consumer health and leaning towards big
pharma. If the FDA actually does its job to
act in the best interest of the people and their
general health, hemp related supplements should
line the shelves of retailers across the country
and be treated the same as everything else.
HT: Who are the main customers for your
in-house hemp-paper brand, TreeFreeHemp?
How do you approach the sales of these products? Who are the customers and why do they
buy?
MB: The majority of customers are cannabis
hemp and cannabis marijuana businesses. Were
also producing materials for events and conferences, bands doing CD ecosleeves, coffee shops,
eco-conscious and sustainability organizations,
and specialty design and marketing companies.
Most leads and customers are generated at
events and through our website.
HT: How do you see the U.S. retail market
taking shape?
MB: Like I mentioned before, delivery and
distribution channels are part of the infrastructure development over the next 5 years. Right
now the food and body-care side of hemp are the
largest segments of hemp retail sales. I think this
will continue and youll see the CBD products
fall under this umbrella. Its my opinion that the
broad category of nutritional hemp encompasses all of these. Textiles and clothing will
continue to grow, although more slowly as we
will not be growing for this sector to any scale
for quite some time. The infrastructure required
to develop that market is a long ways off, if it
ever happens. Areas where I think the U.S. will
excel at in the coming years will be in building
materials, composites, bio-plastics, chemical
replacement and alternatives, and other high-end
technical applications.

HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders 7

Sergiy Kovalenkov

A builders hemp fate

Sergiy Kovalenkov is rapidly gaining a reputation around the world
When Sergiy Kovalenkov reported to
work after a career move to Australia
back in 2010, he found out that the
promised project management position opened specifically for him was no
longer available.
It was fate, says the 32-year-old
Ukrainian entrepreneur, who then by
chance -- through a rep from Hollands
Dun Agro -- got involved in building
Australias first hemp home, in Tasmania.
An engineer and construction manager, Kovalenkov joined up with the
Tasmanian project and immediately got
his hands into hemp, water and lime.
Id heard about hemp but I didnt really
know anything about it, says Kovalenkov,
who earlier this year launched Hempire,
a Kiev-based hemp construction firm
that has already carried out a total of six
projects renovations, building extensions and full builds.
Hemp dome project
The centerpiece of Hempires fledgling
startup for now is a unique wooden-frame,
dome-shaped hemp dwelling. Designed in
partnership with Wooden Dome Homes, a
Siberian specialty framer based in Russias
Altai Republic, a first project was completed
recently outside of Moscow. The two homes
being built combine domes of 13m and 8m
in diameter, connected by a short passageway. Sufficient height in the larger dome
allows for a loft or second floor.
Meanwhile, Kovalenkov says Hempire is in talks with potential commercial builders in Ukraine regarding both
dome-shaped and traditional-shaped
hemp projects. Were preparing for big
things to happen in the industry next
year, says Kovalenkov, who notes that a
recent easing of the laws governing hemp
cultivation in Ukraine has freed up the
market and will help supply the growing
hemp construction industry.
But he also sees some international
projects in Hempires future. Weve already
had some inquiries from abroad, and theres
just a buzz across Europe, he said.
Growing in the East
Hempire sources processed straw from
eastern Ukraine, where Kovalenkov estimates more than 1,000 ha were harvested
this year and where most Ukrainian
processors are situated. It will be much
more next year, because the growing is
just coming alive, he says. And despite
8 HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders

the ongoing strife in eastern Ukraine,

Kovalenko notes that hes had no problems with supply from the region.
And while one new hemp processing
facility is going in near Kiev next year,
according to Kovalenkov, two more are
in the planning stages as the buildout of
Ukraines hemp infrastructure gears up.
Hemps uphill battle
Still, hemp building faces considerable
challenges overall, according to Kovalenkov, who admits to an uphill battle when
it comes to broader acceptance of hemp
as a building material.
Its a challenge to convince architects
and homeowners to use this material.
Theres a lot of skepticism and confusion
over hemps properties and values comparing to traditional materials, Kovalenkov
says. There needs to be a lot of communication to harmonize hemp, in a technical
sense, with the construction industry. But
the most important thing is that hemp creates the healthiest possible environment.
Health and well-being are far more
important than technical values and
properties. You need to spread the word,
he says.
Communications critical to quality
A graduate in civil engineering and
construction management from Carleton
University, Ottawa, Canada, Kowalenkov
also gained experience on hemp building
projects in Switzerland and France before
deciding to strike out on his own.
For now, Kovalenkov runs Hempire with
one employee who handles communications, and a team of four builders who also

train local crews in hemp building techniques as various jobs require. Kovalenkov
monitors progress remotely and visits job
sites at key stages. Communication is reallly critical. It needs to be a constant flow of
information and feedback, and the guys out
there building need to know they can get
answers from you when they need them,
he says, noting: More than anything, this is
about communications supporting quality
and quality control.
Hempires drive for quality is also reflected in Fifth Element, a unique binder developed by Kovalenkov. This binder
consists of only natural components and
has no cement or hydraulic lime. As the
end result, with Fifth Element we receive
a very porous insulation material with
low density, and high thermal resistance
values, Kovalenkov said
And his firm has already started to be
recognized for its hemp-based insulation
material, Hempire Mix, which received
a first place prize for Best Wall System
for Ecological Individual Construction
Design during the international architectural contest Kyiv Eco Home 2015.
Keeping prices down
Finally, Kovalenkov says pricing also
has been a key to Hempires early success.
Were trying to keep prices down as much
as possible, just to build up the orders for
now, he says of his strategy, which so far
has kept his business plan on track.
Beyond those things, the product, in
some sense, advertises itself. But as the
market grows, we always have to look
for some competitive advantages, and we
have aggressive plans to grow the business internationally, he says.

Dhiraj K. Shah

Dhiraj K. Shah

Entrepreneur looks to hemp to rebuild Nepal

Dhiraj K. Shah will never forget the moment.
I was sleeping, and my wife saw it in
the news and read me the headline, he
said of being awakened to learn of the
massive earthquake that struck his native
country of Nepal April 25, 2015.
It was a life-changing moment for me,
said the 30-year-old Shah.
A telecommunications engineer, Shah
was winding up a research project in Lisbon, and had already started looking for a
further such assignment.
I was doing my research on 3D video
compression but I had really started to
lose motivation due to lack of challenges
in the work environment, Shah said. I
was more interested in doing something
to make peoples lives better but at which I
could also make a living.

I knew I had to go back

When the earthquake struck, I just
knew I had to go back and help my country, Shah said.
His response is the Kathmandu-based
startup Shah Hemp Inno-Ventures
(SHIV), which for now is focused exclusively on using Nepals abundant hemp
fields to grow the raw materials for a massscale home-rebuilding initiative.
Hemp has been used in some form or
the other in Nepal for ages, but the hemp industry is still in a very primitive stage in the
country because of lack of proper technical
infrastructure and unclear laws around the

hemp plant, Shah noted.

The SHIV startup happened very
quickly. Having researched hemp since
2004, Shah thought it might have the
potential to rebuild the homes of middleclass Nepalese who likely would be
squeezed out of relief programs coming
through NGOs and governments.
Their own savings arent enough to
build a proper house again but with hempcrete were offering them an affordable
solution, Shah said.
Hemp community moral support
After talking with European hemp building veteran Steve Allin of the International
Hemp Building Association, Shah was
encouraged. Steve and the hemp community showed a lot of support and made me
feel that this project can work. It was soon
after that I decided to move back to Nepal,
Shah said, his courage bolstered by his wife
Niveditas encouragement.
I always wanted to do something with
hemp but construction was never a focus,
considering my educational background,
Shah said. But when the earthquake hit,
hemp for construction in Nepal started
making a lot of sense.
The task of rebuilding Nepals housing stock is daunting. The quake and its
aftershock on May 12 destroyed as many
as 600,000 homes and 45% of Nepals
UNESCO cultural heritage sites while
taking 9,000 lives and injuring 23,000 in
the nation of 26 million. Economists have

estimated that rebuilding Nepals economy

will need an international effort over the
next few years that could exceed USD
5 billion, or about 20 percent of Nepals
gross domestic product.
Nepals hemp potential
Yet hemp, which grows in the wild in
Nepal, has a total potential yield of 3,000
tons annually enough to build 100,000
homes of 100 sq m that SHIV has already
designed, theoretically priced for now at
EU 15,000. Most importantly, those structures would fare better during earthquakes,
along with being healthier and environmentally friendly, Shah notes.
For now, Shah is bootstrapping his
startup with personal funds while working
on creative business arrangements with suppliers and talking with other funding sources.
Nepal is a trading economy, so the cost
of everything really goes up in the supply
chain, he said. He also considers going for
crowdfunding, noting that there are people
who have the urge to contribute to his
countrys earthquake relief but dont know
any reliable channel, indicating another
potential financing source.
But finances werent foremost in Shahs
mind at the conception of SHIV. Seeing my friends and other peoples houses
crumbled, I just felt I had to do something,
and we can, Shah said. Ive always believed if you dedicate yourself to something and sincerely want it to happen, that
youll find a way.

HempToday 5 Hemp Leaders 9

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