Regions in Spain, Portugal launch project to build cross-border hemp value chain

Hemp Today

Spain and Portugal are launching a joint initiative aimed at developing an array of applications in continuing efforts to kickstart a viable hemp economy in the Iberian Peninsula.

The project, called HEMPVALUE, is led by the Center for Scientific and Technological Research (CICYTEX) in Spain’s Extremadura region, and brings together regional authorities, research institutions and technology centers from Extremadura and the cross-border Portuguese regions of Alentejo and Centro.

Project organizers said the initiative aligns with broader EU sustainability and green-transition policies focused on renewable materials, waste reduction and low-carbon industrial systems, and is intended to support complete utilization of the crop while creating new economic opportunities in rural regions facing population losses.

Broad scope

The three-year initiative, with a budget of more than €1.3 million under the EU-backed POCTEP territorial cooperation framework, runs through 2028.

The program addresses the entire industrial hemp value chain, from cultivation and varietal testing to industrial processing for commercial applications such as bioplastics, 3D-printing materials and construction products. It also includes research into hemp byproducts for biogas and pellet production while exploring hemp grain for food and animal feed.

The project represents the latest attempt by stakeholder institutions to position hemp as part of broader sustainability, rural-development and circular-economy strategies.

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