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]

​Founded at COP21, hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme and with 280 members, including 39 countries, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) is the leading global platform for all buildings stakeholders committed to a common vision: A zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector. The GlobalABC is a global advocate and a catalyst to action: GlobalABC advocates for market transformation and focuses on catalysing action by defining a carbon neutrality strategy for the built environment. GlobalABC advocates the sector’s importance for global climate action through international high-level events, including COPs. GlobalABC tracks progress in its annual Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, and its Global Building Climate Tracker, a new index to track progress in decarbonization in the sector. The GlobalABC co-leads the Human Settlements Pathway under the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, which outlines the 2030 and 2050 decarbonization goals. GlobalABC develops policy guidance and global and regional buildings and construction roadmaps outlining aspirational targets, timelines, and key actions for essential policies and technologies, and, offering a model for national and city-level buildings and construction roadmaps to support and raise the ambition of NDCs. Beside being a natural product produced with low gas emissions, HEMP is known for sequestrating carbon, according to scientists one hectare of hemp sequesters 9 to 15 tonnes of CO2, similar to amounts sequestered by a young forests 1 . When used for hempcrete, it becomes a carbon stock. By joining the Global ABC, the Federation of International Hemp Organizations (FIHO) aims to position HEMP as a sustainable solution for construction and isolation materials. More and more companies in the world are developing Hempcrete and other biomaterials for new buildings as well as refitting existing buildings at a reasonable price and with locally developed products. “Being accepted into the coalition is a recognition of FIHO’s dedication to developing HEMP as a carbon sink for international building industries.” Declares Ted Haney, Board Chair of FIHO “Global ABC will allow Hempcrete producers to showcase their products, develop contacts with other stakeholders including farmers, processors, architects, building companies and urbanists to share research findings and more.”

Multi-industry experts led the conversation and panel
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC) co-hosted a well-timed webinar, "Hemp as a Feed Ingredient: A National Discussion," for pet food, animal feed, and hemp industries, and regulatory officials, discussing peer-to-peer questions, challenges, solutions, and best practices. Held on Aug. 9, the webinar featured 18 topic-specific, industry experts and almost 600 virtual attendees discussing answers to the complex question, Why isn't hemp in animal feed?
"The webinar was not a debate; rather, it was a national discussion on overcoming challenges and gaining approval for hemp seed and hempseed by-products as ingredients in animal feed. The purpose was to connect with industry peers and share meaningful dialogue around moving forward together," said Hollis Glenn, member of AAFCO's Board of Directors and Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. "This topic has been on everyone's radar for years. More than ever, it was the right time to stimulate an important industry conversation that brings us all closer to reaching a common goal -- and to collaborate on safe solutions."
Interest in the use of hemp in commercial animal feed has accelerated since the passage of the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act ("Farm Bill"). While the Farm Bill expanded the legal production of hemp in the United States, the use of hemp in animal feed remains under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state regulatory programs for commercial animal feed.
In early 2022, AAFCO and 17 industry and regulatory organizations issued a joint open letter to state agriculture leadership, calling on them to support greater education and scientific research to ensure the safety of hemp in feed. NIHC subsequently issued a letter inviting AAFCO and industry professionals to collaborate together to achieve safe solutions.
"By co-collaborating with AAFCO, we were able to address a path forward for the hemp and animal-feed industries -- working together to identify ways to decrease barriers and speed up approvals. The webinar provided the clarification we all have been craving," said Hunter Buffington, member of NIHC's Government Affairs Committee and Vice President of Policy & Advocacy for element Dynamics. "With a shared goal, we will soon achieve the regulatory oversight and approval of new feed ingredients for the agriculture, livestock, and hemp industries. And that's good news for all of us."
The hemp-in-feed webinar was divided into three parts to address priority topics: 1) Scientific Research and Data; 2) Ingredient Review and Approval, and 3) General Interest and Concerns. Each portion included six, multi-industry panelists leading a dialog around his or her particular topic. Panelists were part of a spirited conversation, which also included answering questions that were submitted by virtual attendees.
Key Webinar Takeaways and OutcomesSome highlights from the "Hemp as a Feed Ingredient: A National Discussion" webinar included the following top-10 takeaways:

1. Clarification: The panel focused on hemp as a feed ingredient rather than its potential as a supplement or medicated feed. Hemp used for human and animal nutrition comes from the oil seed and its by-products. The FDA has recognized hempseed: oil, hearts and protein powder as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for human consumption, which provided the basis for the panel's conversation.
2. Collaboration: Multi-industry leaders, from hemp and animal feed producers to researchers, government regulators, and policymakers, agree that it is important to collaborate and coordinate on safe solutions and best practices – all from the same position.
3. Discussion: National discussions, forums, and multi-industry collaboration will help move the approval process forward with new ideas, procedures, and solutions. Finding out what other people are doing and needing across industries – and then collaborating – will help all industries understand the challenges and opportunities.
4. Research: It is imperative that, in order to meet regulations, the nutritional profile of hemp and its effects on the nutrition of animal by-products (e.g., eggs, beef) be well-researched and precise. The regulatory process can be long, but it is critical to work through the research.
5. Data: Safety data is the number-one concern across every industry, and understanding the data will establish specification for hemp as an ingredient and analytical methods that are accurate and validated.
6. Safety: People and animals consume and metabolize foods differently; so hemp for humans is different than it is for livestock and pets. It's important to establish safety and utility in target animals and pets first, then to ensure the safety of meat, milk, and eggs that are marketed for human consumption.
7. State Support: State feed programs can encourage research; address consumer concerns; support land grants, and engage with their farmers.
8. Opportunities: Biggest opportunities with hemp seed as an ingredient: alternative crop for farmers and industry; good nutrient source for animal feed; and additional raw materials as our populations grow.
9. Challenges: The acceptance and availability of peer-reviewed safety and utility data for animal feed for different species of animals; the lack of universally accepted standard testing methods for hemp ingredients for inclusion in feed; and a need for additional information about the long-term effects on animal welfare and the safety of the human food supply.
10. Utility: Unified standards that align with the regulatory laboratories charged with feed safety will help our animals and our industry; ensure animal and human safety by validated methods to test hemp grain for contamination.

A full recording of the webinar can be found here.
About AAFCOThe Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has been guiding state, federal and international feed regulators with ingredient definitions, label standards and laboratory standards for more than 110 years, while supporting the health and safety of people and animals. Its members are charged by their state or federal laws to regulate the manufacture, sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies. Learn more at aafco.org.
About NIHCThe National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC) promotes the production and use of hemp both in North America and around the world. Backed by the U.S. Government, the organization is comprised of international, federal, state, private industry, and government professionals from across the agriculture and business sectors. Learn more at nihcoa.com.                    
SOURCE Association of American Feed Control Officials
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After months of coordinated work between global hemp industry associations, FIHO is beginning work to lead the industry into a new era.
Based on recent progress and renewed global interest in hemp as an industrial commodity, a group of international hemp industry associations have come together to discuss the formation of a global organization dedicated to bringing together industry leaders, market expertise and resources to speak with one voice on hemp-related issues at the global level and to identify and create opportunities to scale sustainable hemp production, marketing and trade for the benefit of the international hemp industry, consumers and the environment.
As a global organization dedicated to the hemp sector, FIHO will work to advance the global production, consumption and trade of industrial hemp and provide a unique platform that promotes research, development and innovation, harmonization of standards, regulation, dissemination of knowledge and creation of awareness.
On March 17, 2022, the Interim Directors met for the first Interim Board Meeting and elected the Interim Directors.
The election process produced the following results:
Position
Name of the elected official
Region

Chairman of the Board
Ted Haney
CHTA, Canada

Vice chairman
Daniel Kruse
EIHA, Europe

Treasurer
Geoff Whaling
NHA, USA

Secretary
Hongliang Ding
CHA, China
Other directors that compose the Interim Board:
Committee
Name des gewählten Beamten
Region

Chairman of the Communication and Engagement Committee
Lorenzo Rolim da Silva
LAIHA, Lateinamerika

Co-Chair of the Policy and Regulation Committee
Lorenza Romanese Erica Mcbride Stark
EIHA, Europa NHA, USA

Chairman of the Committee for Research, Standards and Sustainability
Keith Jones
CHTA, Kanada

 Other directors that compose the Interim Board:
Position
Name of the elected official
Region

Interim Director
Charles Kovess
AIHA, Australia

Interim Director
Gaurav Dixit
UHA, India

Interim Director
Hunter Buffington
NIHC, USA

Interim Director
Jason Fung
CHA, China

Interim Director
Joseph Hickey Sr.
KYHA, USA

Interim Director
Kyle Bingham
THGA, USA

Interim Director
Patrick Atagi
NIHC, USA
We are very pleased to have reached broad agreement on the shared goals and objectives of a global organization dedicated to promoting hemp and making it a widely used agricultural commodity worldwide that can be integrated into many different industries.
Ted Haney, Interim Chairman of the Board of Directors, says, “This work is the result of months of meetings and high-level discussions among members. Given our members’ years of experience and high level of knowledge, we can safely assume that the global hemp industry will achieve great things under FIHO’s leadership. We are working to create the conditions needed for a thriving global hemp industry by promoting inclusion, diversity, and social and environmental responsibility.”
FIHO expects to have a fully functional structure in place by the third quarter of 2022, with all the necessary frameworks in place to accept new members. The information required for the admission of new members will be made available to the public in the coming months.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Industrial Hemp Council of America yesterday sent separate letters to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM) making the case that sufficient research currently exists to include hemp as a safe ingredient in U.S. agriculture’s animal feed supply chain and proposing a webinar with regulators to discuss removing barriers for using hemp as animal feed.
Recently, a coalition of animal feed and nutrition groups and veterinarians led by AAFCO asked states to stop passing laws allowing hemp in animal feed without ample scientific research to support its use. Additionally, FDA-CVM has requested that only studies using American grown and American processed hemp be included. This parameter negates decades of safety research that has been conducted.
“We believe that there is a clear solution and path forward to the approval of hemp feed through the utilization of existing research and the establishment of appropriate agency barriers,” said Hunter Buffington, a member of NIHC’s Government Affairs Committee. “It is incredibly disappointing that some choose to create confusion over feed ingredients versus animal supplements at the expense of American ranchers and farmers who need a safe, affordable and nutritious supply of animal feed that hempseed provides.”
NIHC offered five clarifications and solutions for allowing hemp-based animal feed to gain federal approval.

1. Hemp seed is not used to produce cannabinoids and should not be connected to the regulatory standards of CBD.
2. FDA-CVM should establish reasonable and repeatable action limits for cannabinoids in seed products.
3. FDA-CVM should prioritize AAFCO ingredient approvals and create an expedited process for feed ingredients that relies on already existing research, even if conducted outside of the U.S. or before the 2014 Farm bill allowed hemp to be cultivated for research in the U.S.
4. Regulatory agencies should work together to identify ways to expedite validation and approval of already developed analytical methods to quantify cannabinoids in seed and seed by-products for feed ingredients and to test the transference of cannabinoids into animal by-products intended for human consumption.
5. The hemp industry, led by the NIHC, requests to host a webinar with the regulatory agencies, USDA, AAFCO, and FDA-CVM, where researchers can provide education on safety and cannabinoid transference address gaps in method validation, and discuss pathways to expedite approval of hemp as animal feed.

“At a time when the global supply chain has been so severely disrupted, hemp as a commodity can be an answer,” concluded Buffington. “There is no reason homegrown hemp can’t support the American livestock industry.”
You may download the letter to AAFCO here.  The same letter was sent separately to FDA-CVM.
About NIHC
The National Industrial Hemp Council of America provides high-quality networking and resources for its members, from farm to consumer. Its leadership is composed of leading international, federal, state, private industry, and government professionals throughout the sector. The organization is dedicated to furthering market development, assisting members in entering the industry, and educating consumers on industrial hemp and its applications.