Right next to the Oberalp Group’s own hemp field, the Alpine Hemp Collection from the SALEWA brand was presented at a cross-industry event on September 7, 2022 on the subject of hemp.
Bolzano (Italy), September 8th, 2022 – In a cross-industry partnership, industrial hemp is being rediscovered, cultivated and processed into new products. At the press conference in front of the hemp field at the headquarters of the Oberalp Group in Bolzano South, a wide variety of uses and products were presented: The extremely frugal plant can be used for food, cosmetics, clothing, building materials and medicines. Industrial hemp is just not suitable for intoxication: it only contains very small amounts of THC, the psychoactivating cannabinoid.
In addition to the mountain sports brand SALEWA (owned by the Oberalp Group), Christoph Kirchler from Ecopassion (specializing in functional cosmetics, medical products and dietary supplements), Helmuth Profanter are working on the project, which is committed to rebuilding the hemp expertise that has been lost in the Alpine regions (Natural bakery Profanter), Werner Schönthaler (stone works and building materials trade), Valentine Troi (innovation project Alpine hemp 360°) and Christine Ladstädter (materials expert SALEWA) have been together for several years. The declared goal: industrial hemp should be cultivated again in South Tyrol and North Tyrol and processed from the stalk to the seed, as was the case in the past.
Hemp has a long, albeit interrupted, history in South Tyrol and Tyrol. Traditionally, it was cultivated alongside linen and flax to produce high-quality fibers for ship ropes, sail cloth and paper. In the 1960s, with the loss of image of the plant, the knowledge of cultivation and use was lost. Today it is gaining in importance again: not only because of its good environmental balance, but also because of its excellent qualities. Hemp does not require pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or genetically modified seeds to grow. It does not need any additional irrigation, while the average for cotton in the growing season is 5000 liters per kilogram. For comparison: The hemp (carmagnola) in the Salewa Garden grew over 4 meters high between May and September 2020, with less than 300ml measured rainwater and produced 14 tons of biomass. The plant also improves the soil by removing pollutants from the root system and preventing erosion at the same time. Ultimately, hemp provides habitat and food for many insect species and thus makes a significant contribution to preventing bee deaths. Hemp is the strongest renewable (natural) fiber, especially when wet, hemp is significantly more tear-resistant and stronger than cotton (2.5x) and polyester (1.4x).
The variety of uses was reflected in the presentation of the products on long tables in the Oberalp Group’s Salewa Garden: Christine Ladstaetter presented Salewa’s Alpine Hemp collection. The mountaineering industry uses the high tear resistance and excellent perspiration capacity of this plant. Innovations relating to cultivation and recycling, such as composites, were presented by Valentine Troi from the Tyrol location agency; Werner Schönthaler explained the advantages of hemp struts as insulating and building material; Helmuth Profanter brought Schüttelbrot with hemp and bars with a high protein content to the tasting; and at Christoph Kirchler hemp ointments, self-produced CBD (cannabidiol) extracts, high-quality cosmetics and dietary supplements based on hemp could be tested.
In order for the cultivation of hemp to be successful in the Alpine region, enthusiastic and interested farmers, farmer associations and researchers who want to work and experiment with this plant are needed. With its hemp field, the SALEWA Garden has been doing the preliminary work for three years and has proven that hemp can be grown easily in the Alpine region. Individual successors can already be found as innovative farmers in South Tyrol and North Tyrol, even though the majority of hemp is currently cultivated in China and processed in various stages. The aim of the group of companies from South Tyrol is to be able to manufacture a wide range of products from hemp grown in the region. A time window of 10 years is considered realistic for this.
The Oberalp Group is a management-led family company with its headquarters in Bozen in South Tyrol. Heiner Oberrauch founded the company in 1981. Today, the group employs around 700 people and, in addition to the development and production of mountain sports articles, is active in sports retail and in the wholesale and distribution of sports-based brands. The SALEWA brand, founded in Munich, has been part of the Oberalp Group since 1990. Over the years, the group has acquired the brands DYNAFIT, POMOCA, WILD COUNTRY and EVOLV. In 2022, the company launched a new mountaineering brand by women for women, LaMunt. The family company relies on courage to break new ground, continuous innovation in products, processes and in thinking. A conscious, sensible approach to the environment and resources and a passion for sport and mountains are the foundation of our corporate culture. Since 2019, the Oberalp Group’s “Contribute” sustainability report has been published at the same time as the balance sheet figures. For the 5th time in a row, the company was the only one in Italy to be awarded “Leader status” by the NGO “Fair Wear Foundation”. www.oberalp.com