Meet hempecosystems

Tell us a bit about the company

Hemp Eco Systems (HES) was founded by Jorgen Hempel in 2012. – Jorgen was one of the early pioneers of Hemp building, working in partnership with Yves Kuhn in the early 90’s to develop the materials and systems which the world is familiar with today. in 2014, A patent was granted for the invention of the building material as well as the process of mixing the material. The material which we call HempLime is comprised of the following: hydrated lime, an organic filler (hemp hurds) and a mineral composition of volcanic origin. What makes the invention unique, is the use of hydrated lime, this allows for the healthiest, most ecological and economical solution. By giving the people the ability to use locally sourced hydrated lime, which is available in many parts of the world, we bring down the cost of materials and transport.

How did you become involved in hemp personally?

I, (Toni Läderach) joined Jorgen in early 2018 and since then we’ve been working on continuing to build the network of affiliates but this time around, with a slightly different approach. We, HES, would no longer provide funding to the affiliates, but rather focus on acquiring building and renovation jobs within our capacity and allow the affiliates to approach us. We have the “know how” (25 years of experience) to build and renovate with HempLime and it is this knowledge which we need to transfer to builders in various regions around the world. We have a unique product which works well to build healthy homes and regulate indoor climate. My background is in civil engineering, working on large projects in South Africa for 5 years after graduating. I had a desire to get out into the world and learn how to improve our way of life, I felt that there was much more i needed to learn. In 2015, I followed my gut and set out on a quest to gain a deeper understanding of how we, as a species, could live in harmony with nature.

My journey has lead me to multiple continents and expanded my mind in ways which I couldn’t have imagined. In Dec 2017 on a trip to South Africa, I met up with Tony Budden at his Hemporium office in Cape Town. We had a long discussion about Hemp in general and after finding out that my wife and I were planning a move to Switzerland, Tony told me about a guy he knew (Jorgen) that had been building with Hemp and suggested I make contact. Thats what I did, I contacted Jorgen and after some persistence from my end, Jorgen responded. I really appreciate the work Tony’s done for the hemp movement, he is one of the pioneers and an inspiration, thanks Tony. At the beginning of 2019, we set out for Northern California on a market research expedition. The region was familiar to me because in 2017, I lived there for several months becoming an accredited solar practitioner and learning about sustainable living and permaculture during an internship programme at the solar living institute in Hopland. I knew about the devastating wild fires that swept through almost every year, so I felt that our products could solve a real problem for the people of California. While I was there, a friend of mine wanted a hemp house built and so we made it happen.

How is the hemp building industry in U.S at the moment?

There is a growing interest in the USA which is a good sign. The demand for hurd needs to increase in order to justify the investment into processing facilities for local farmers. We will continue to develop the network and make alliances with responsible companies that share a common vision we hold for the future.

Meet hempecosystems

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