FIHO is Established as First Global Hemp Federation; Hunter Buffington to serve as USA Chair of Sustainability Committee

FIHO IS ESTABLISHED AS FIRST GLOBAL HEMP FEDERATION; HUNTER BUFFINGTON TO SERVE AS USA CHAIR OF SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Saskatoon, November 18, 2022 - The Federation of International Hemp Organisations (FIHO) held its first Annual General Meeting and elected its founding Board of Directors. This signals the transition from interim leadership to an established official organization.

A working group of 20 global hemp organizations joined forces in 2020 and began the process of creating FIHO. An interim Board was appointed in December 2021 to establish the organization. The mandate of the new FIHO is to: unite industry leaders; consolidate market expertise; coordinate resources; and, speak with one voice on hemp issues at the global level. FIHO will identify and create opportunities, and scale up sustainable hemp production, marketing and trade to benefit the global hemp industry, consumers, and the environment The first Annual General Meeting also provided the opportunity to announce the appointment of Mr. Fredéric Vallier as the new FIHO Director General.

Frédéric is an experienced executive who served as Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions for the past 12 years. He brings strong organizational skills as well as expertise in sustainability, industry engagement, and government relations to FIHO. Mr. Vallier will hold executive functions, manage FIHO operations, and report directly to the newly elected Board. Fredéric Vallier said “I am honoured to become the first FIHO Director General and I thank the Board for putting their trust in me.” He continued by confirming that "hemp is at the heart of the transition towards a more sustainable society. My goal, as Director General, is to build a strong international federation able to influence international policies to support the development of hemp and its derived industrial products.” Ted Haney, newly elected Board Chair, added that “the combination of a strong membership, committed Directors, and expert management will ensure a successful launch. The formation of FIHO represents the next important milestone in the development of the global hemp industry.” The new FIHO Board includes the following global hemp industry leaders: Position Elected Officers Member Organization Region Board Chair Ted Haney CHTA Canada Board Vice-Chair Daniel Kruse EIHA Europe Treasurer Patrick Atagi NIHC USA Secretary Charles Kovess AIHA Australia - 2 - The following committees were established to coordinate the work of the organization and are in the process of defining their roles and responsibilities, and recruiting members: Committee Committee Chair Member Organization Region Communication and Engagement Lorenzo Rolim da Silva LAIHA Brazil Policy and Regulations Lorenza Romanese Rick Fox1 EIHA Europe USA Research and Standards Keanan Stone Michael Bronstein CHTA ATACH Canada USA Sustainability Hunter Buffington Terry Grajczyk1 NIHC USA Canada Other Directors that complete the Board include: Position Elected Directors Member Organization Region Director Joseph Hickey Sr. KYHA USA Director Kyle Bingham TxHGA USA Director Rohit Sharma IIHA India FIHO has established a secretariat in Brussels, from which it will provide member services and connect with inter-governmental agencies.


​FIHO has created an open platform membership structure, to include hemp organizations operating at the supranational, national, and subnational levels, hemp-focussed companies and individuals, governments, research institutes, and aligned not-for-profit organizations. FIHO invites interested parties to consider becoming co-founding members. The organization will soon publish its official website with all relevant information. In the meantime please contact [email protected]. For more information, please contact: Lorenzo Rolim da Silva Ted Haney Communication and Engagement Committee Chair Board Chair Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]