IHASA Newsletter
Summer 2025
Member Spotlight
Tell us about Uma Hemp and your role
Uma Hemp is a sustainable textile brand launched in 2023 by CPL Textile Group, focused on hemp-based innovation for fashion, interiors, and functional textiles. With teams in Australia and Japan, we combine natural materials with modern design and scalable production to advance low-impact textiles. CPL Textile Group is a vertically integrated manufacturer with four factories in China and over 1,000 employees, supplying automotive, sportswear, and functional fabrics. In 2023, CPL expanded into hemp R&D and launched Uma Hemp as its platform for sustainable innovation and global market growth.
I am the Executive Director of Uma Hemp, and my primary role is to connect with growers across Australia and maintain a consistent, reliable supply of hemp fibre for export. I am committed to helping Australian hemp fibre gain recognition and acceptance in international markets.
When did you start your hemp journey?
I began my journey in the hemp industry after attending the Australian Industrial Hemp Conference in April 2024.
What’s the best thing about hemp?
From a textile perspective, the best thing about hemp is its combination of strength, breathability, and sustainability. Hemp fibre is naturally durable, moisture-regulating, and UV-resistant, and it becomes softer with every wash. It also requires far less water and chemicals than cotton, making it one of the most eco-efficient natural fibres for modern textile applications.
What’s the worst thing about hemp?
The biggest downside of hemp in textiles is the lack of standardisation. Hemp fibre can be coarse, uneven, and difficult to process without advanced technology. Differences in retting, field conditions, and processing equipment often result in unpredictable micronaire, strength, and splitting ratio, which limits its compatibility with high-speed spinning systems.
How do you see yourself best contributing to the hemp industry?
I have lived in Adelaide for over 15 years while maintaining strong business networks in China, giving me a deep understanding of both markets. I also work in the fodder export industry, whose export model closely mirrors that of hemp fibre. This combination allows me to act as a strong bridge between Australia and Asia, drawing on proven fodder export experience to help Australian hemp enter and scale in key international markets such as China and Vietnam.
Around the paddocks
November is the month when our hemp crops are sown for Good Country Hemp. It’s our one chance to sow the right varieties in the right places at the right time to harvest the hemp grain we need to keep us producing hemp foods for the next 12 months. Trying to predict how many hectares to sow isn’t easy at the best of times. Firstly, we are planting more hemp year-on-year to keep up with growing demand – which is great – but we don’t want to sow and harvest more than we can process in 12 months. Secondly, predicting the harvest yield we get in March next year is like waving a stick in the wind. Who knows what mother nature will do, even after we have everything else under control.
There are quiet moves taking place to establish a hemp fibre processing facility (decorticator) in South Australia on a fairly large scale. There are many moving parts (like in a decorticator) which need to work in unison to bring this into reality. But I can cautiously say with reasonable confidence that motivated and capable South Australian individuals are currently making it happen. I say cautiously because during the past 4 years there have been 2 “flashes in the pan” which have held lots of promise of hemp fibre being processed in SA, but both have fizzled out and unfortunately left some people burnt in their wake.
As innovation into products using hemp hurd and fibre continues, the market for hemp fibre products will soar as sustainable hemp continues to displace traditional materials, especially in the building industry. But demand and supply must grow in-step with each other. This means a slow-burn, not a flash-in-the-pan. Proper development of any new business in the hemp industry will take many years of commitment. Hopefully all of the “get rich quick” personalities have left the hemp industry, and the industry is now mature enough to move on. History has shown us how the hemp industry and other emerging industries have developed in other countries, and if South Australia follows the play book we’re set for a great future in hemp.
Until next time,
Mick Andersen, Good Country Hemp
Hemp Clothing Company
An update from Chris Martin
Large new collection of goods released for Hemp Clothing Australia, as seen online our range is expanding quite a lot leading into Christmas. So further growth in the hemp fashion area is quite evident and we are scaling to meet that demand.
We have Port Elliot Primary, Port Elliot Kindergarten and Encounter College recently becoming the first schools in South Australia to order hemp uniforms.
Port Elliot Primary is the first to receive their shipments and it should be in the paper this week (via a regional news outlet). More schools and parents are learning about the clear need to get off polyester and into plant fibre uniforms which is great.
The schools can order direct via invoice or we supply a display stand at the school office and parents can size up their kids, scan the QR code and order online from our warehouse.
Also attended Weave last week, an event regarding circular industry and waste management for Textiles and uniforms. Met with government and industry to discuss the future and there was a lot of interest in our hemp product lines, including from suppliers who source uniforms for Police, Fire and Ambulance.
Fleurieu Sustainable Fashion Gang (FLANG)
Crystal Wilson, Group Member
The eight women behind FLANG agree that while it may be a silly name, their goals are lofty, and they mean business.
The Fleurieu Sustainable Fashion Gang (FLANG) may only be in its first year, but it has already created a significant amount of change in the move towards a more sustainable future in its home of the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.
The all-female, multi-generational group who are living, working, studying and mothering on the Fleurieu, first came together as friends before discovering their shared passion for environmental issues.
FLANG was formally created in March 2025 in the hopes of generating interest in, and providing education on fashion sustainability. Partnering with Chris Martin, founder of Hemp Clothing Australia, they spearheaded the introduction of hemp uniform options for children at Port Elliot Primary School, Port Elliot Kindergarten and now, Encounter Lutheran College.
Susi Benger, a founding member and an established sustainable fashion designer (with her own label) became interested in uniforms when her children started school. “My youngest daughter hated the school’s polyester uniform….complaining that she got too hot in it”. Susi explained “In our everyday lives, I would try to dress my family in natural fibres, but 5 days a week they were in polyester.”
Susi began researching uniform options and discovered that Chris of Hemp Clothing Australia was already ahead of the curve, supplying hemp uniform options to NSW schools. Despite being based in South Australia, there were unfortunately no schools in the state with a hemp option.
With Chris already producing uniforms to the same standards as existing options and at similar prices points, FLANG got to work rallying support within the community and within the school’s administration.
Susi and the other FLANG members are now well versed on the impacts of polyester clothing on the children that are wearing them and, on the environment. Sienna (14), the youngest member of FLANG, and a current student at Encounter Lutheran College, has turned her interest in environmental issues into activism. Sienna feels there is no shortage of teens who would want to see the end of outdated and unfit-for-purpose polyester uniforms. Sienna reflects on her sports uniform that leeches plastic, doesn’t break down, contains harsh chemicals and also smells at the end of the day. Sienna feels that in time, more students will make the switch to the new option and hopes that more and more schools will follow.
FLANG continues to reach out to schools in their local area and wants to generate more interest in the movement. To do so, they’re planning an exhibition at a local gallery next year focussing on hemp and sustainable clothing.
Beyond that, Crystal Wilson (a local social worker and group member) says that they have other industries in their sights. “Why stop at schools, there are many industries that require uniforms. It’s our right as consumers to be able to make a choice that reflects our interest in preserving our health as well as our environment.”
FLANG encourages anyone with interest in hemp uniform options to contact them via their social media page or email (listed below) or alternatively, contact Hemp Clothing Australia direct.
Hemp Clothing Australia – https://www.hempclothingaustralia.com
Email: flang.sustainable.fashion@gmail.com
Instagram: flang_sustainable_fashion
Sienna, the youngest member is missing from the photo.
Cleaned, stable seed, University of Adelaide/Australian Hemp Seed Company 2025.
IHASA Webinars
During 2026, a series of webinars will be held which will be an opportunity for members, friends and interested parties to come together via Zoom.
It is anticipated that a guest speaker will be organised for each webinar which will run for approximately an hour. The webinars will give opportunity for updates on what is happening in the sector, networking and connections with those in attendance.
Emails will be sent to IHASA members informing them of the details for each webinar giving due notice for this. Interested family members and friends are also welcome to join the webinars.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
2025 Newsletter Schedule
For the 2026 calendar year, the following dates are when the newsletters will be circulated to members.
• 1st March 2026 (Autumn edition)
• 1st June 2026 (Winter edition)
• 1st September 2026 (Spring edition)
• 1st December 2026 (Summer edition)
As a valued member, if you have updates and information you’d like included in the newsletters, please forward this to Dianne Sharpe by the following dates:
• 21st February 2026
• 23rd May 2026
• 22nd August 2026
• 21st November 2026
In addition to this, if there is information you’d like to share at any time with other members and/or state entities and the AHC, please email this to Bernard and Dianne and a separate document can be done on the IHASA newsletter template for circulation to the relevant parties.
All contributions are welcome.
Leading the Hemp Industry Together
The Australian Hemp Council is a seven-member national peak body formed in June 2020 under the Federation model. It comprises a single representative from the local industrial hemp association within each of the nation’s six states and the Northern Territory.
The AHC is primarily grower and processor driven, focusing on addressing issues impacting the industry whilst engaging with Government and the broader community. The members of the Council are working to drive policies that will foster the productivity of the Australian Hemp Industry with a specific focus on improving the industry’s capacity to compete at a global level, thus ensuring long term sustainability of a profitable industry.
Six key objectives of the Australian Hemp Council:
· Communication & Industry Integrity
· Research
· Lobbying & State Regulation
· Chemical applications
· Industry trends
· Seed certification
For further information and updates please refer to the AHC website:
https://australianhempcouncil.org.au/
Hemp Recipe – Hemp Seed Cluster Snacks
Recipe by: Rosie Mansfield
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ½ cup almonds (optional)
- ½ cup cashews (optional)
- ¼ cup desiccated coconut
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 block dark choc
- ¼ cup culinary lavender
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 150C.
- In a bowl mix honey, vanilla, water, salt, desiccated coconut and coconut oil in a bowl.
- Mix in seeds.
- Place in greased muffin tray holes and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Allow to cool.
- Dip in melted dark chocolate with a fork and sprinkle with coconut, salt and lavender.
Season’s Greetings
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Wishing all our special members, families, friends, significant others, children and animal friends a wonderful festive season filled with love, health and happiness.
Also wishing everyone all the very best in every way for 2026.
Take care and be safe.
IHASA Committee Members
Mick Andersen
Good Country Hemp
Chris Martin
Committee Member
Dianne Sharpe
Newsletter
Tony Burfield
AHC Director for SA
Bernard Thomson
Membership & Treasurer
Miller’s Corner is a sustainability – focused housing development in the Adelaide Hills. Our despair at seeing the types of development happening in the Adelaide Hills led us to seek alternative ways of building. After seeing a Grand Designs program on hemp building we decided to investigate using hemp in our project.
After finding it was wasn’t legal to grow hemp in South Australia we joined the newly formed Industrial Hemp Association and began lobbying the government for a change of legislation. Unfortunately even with the new legislation it was not possible to purchase South Australian grown hemp. This led us to purchasing hemp from France which proved to be the most cost-effective method of getting hemp in South Australia.
Building at Miller’s Corner is progressing with currently eight buildings at various stages of development including five which have used hemp as a building product. It is expected most buildings will be completed by the end of 2021. Our website 
