Hemp is much more expensive than cotton because of its low demand, limited availability, expensive production and poor reputation. Organic hemp is a great substitute for cotton and is much more environmentally friendly than cotton or bamboo. Hemp is a highly sustainable fiber that has been used in clothing for thousands of years. Organic hemp is one of the most sustainable and durable options for clothing as a natural fabric.
Hemp grows fast in the most sustainable way, much more so than cotton. In many regions such as China, Korea, the Netherlands and Chile, hemp cultivation goes back generations. Hemp has been a source of fabric for Korea since ancient times. It's hard to understand why hemp isn't more popular.
Hemp fibers are overshadowed by cotton. Hemp clothing was quickly abandoned in the past and replaced by cotton clothing. People buy cotton clothes because it's cheap and cotton is what they know the most. If more people bought hemp clothing, the price of hemp cloth would fall, as more companies would also produce hemp clothing.
The cotton industry is very wasteful and produces much more volume than the hemp industry. Conventional cotton is mass-produced and has a disastrous social and environmental impact. Choose organic cotton whenever you can. Organic hemp is a great alternative to conventional cotton due to its sustainability and durability.
Hemp grows faster than cotton, requires less water, pesticides, and fertilizers before harvest, and produces many raw materials that are valuable for industries other than textiles. Unfortunately, conscious consumers looking for sustainable and eco-friendly clothing do not choose hemp right away due to its high cost price and limited availability. The reason why hemp clothing is so expensive is because of its processing methods, disadvantages compared to other fabrics, limited availability and low demand. The brand that buys hemp clothing will add a high profit margin to make it profitable.
Until we can convince more people to buy hemp clothing, the price of hemp clothing will remain high. Ultimately, hemp could be cheaper than cotton if demand for hemp clothing increases. Read my article on the pros and cons of organic cotton if you're not convinced about its benefits over conventional cotton. Read my article on the price of linen to understand why linen is the most expensive sustainable fabric in the world.
