Farmers in Loop Head Peninsula in Co Clare will be growing hemp as part of a community-based project exploring its soil quality and biodiversity benefits.

The main objectives of the Hemp4Soil project are to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers, improve soil microbial activity, increase the carbon content of the soil and provide training opportunities and knowledge transfer for farmers.

On Friday 8 April, Loop Head Together, a community-based, local development and farming forum launched the project at the Irish Hemp Event 2022, organised by Hemp Cooperative Ireland in association with Teagasc.

A spokesperson from Loop Head Together said that the results could potentially help create sustainable income streams for the farmers in the future.

At the project launch, held in the Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre, Laura J Foley, introduced the project concept, along with Dr Kate C Randall and Dr Lena Madden, who are working with Laura on the preparation and scientific monitoring of the soil, highlighting the many potential benefits to the environment, the farmer, and the wider community.

They pointed to the potential for a follow up ‘Phase 2’ project, which might look at a regulated roll out of hemp cultivation as a ‘farming initiative’.

Foley said: “Hemp has the potential to solve many of our environmental challenges in a way that is economically beneficial to farming communities."

Exciting element

Another exciting element to this project, surrounds the work of Ennis native, Sinead Madden, PhD candidate from the University of Limerick’s Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Sinead is researching Hybrid Computational Mathematical Modelling to ascertain how hemp can be used for carbon sequestration.

Madden's initial findings suggest that a relatively small quantity of land devoted to hemp cultivation could offset a significant amount of national agricultural carbon emissions.

Rural & Community Development Officer from Clare County Council Margaret Cotter said: "This project is a first in farms in Ireland and has potential to deliver far-reaching impacts as it progresses."

She said that Hemp4Soil is a "wonderful demonstration" of how a small rural community can lead the way in research and real-life practice for climate initiatives and potential carbon sequestration.

Tony Collins, a representative of the Loop Head Together group said that Loop Head Together and Carrigaholt Development Association are delighted to be supporting this exciting experiment.

"The people of Loop Head have been brilliant as always, and the farmers are excited to see the potential benefits to the overall quality of the soil and the local biodiversity," he said.