EIHA – The voice of the European hemp sector

The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) represents the common interests of hemp farmers, producers and traders working with hemp fibres, shives, seeds, leaves and cannabinoids. Our main task is to serve, protect and represent the hemp sector in the EU and international policy-making.

EIHA covers different areas for the application of hemp, namely its use for construction materials, textilesplastics, bio-composites, cosmetics, feed, food and supplements. Our network encompasses operators from 25 EU Member States and 12 non-EU countries, including members in North America and the Asia Pacific. In total, EIHA acts on behalf of more than 250 members that represent the entire industrial hemp production chain, from seed to shelf.

Our History

EIHA was founded 20 years ago in Cologne, Germany. Initially, the idea behind its creation was to build a strong network of farmers, producers and traders of hemp and hemp-derived products in Europe and share a common know-how and best practices. In 2019, EIHA decided to have a stronger political representativeness by establishing its presence in Brussels. A dedicated public affairs team was created with the aim to defend the hemp sector in EU policy-making, build a strong reputation and find common ground with other stakeholders. Having a strong voice in the capital of the European Union, EIHA highly increased its visibility and influence in the European policymaking sphere, a crucial step for the future of the whole sector.

Our mission

Our mission is to steer and promote hemp farming, processing and trading in the European Union. We aim at developing a single and safe common market of high-quality hemp products, inspired by the principle of social, environmental and economic sustainability.

Our vision

EIHA believes in a sustainable economic model that reconciles agriculture, industry and environment. For this reason, we promote the development on the EU territory of local, yet globally connected value chains, capable of delivering the multiple ecosystem services that hemp has to offer. We favour an inclusive, transparent and multi-stakeholder approach to policymaking, guided by science-based information.