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The sales data, collected by the market research firm SPINS, were obtained from natural and conventional food retailers, excluding Whole Foods Market and other establishments not providing sales data - and thus underestimate actual sales by a factor of at least three. According to the SPINS data, hemp grocery sales grew in the sampled stores by 42% over the previous year ending December 27, 2008, or $2.56 million, to a total of $8.64 million. The SPINS data also show that sales of hemp body care products grew by 19%, or $3.00 million, over the previous year to a total of $19.12 million. Finally, according to SPINS, combined hemp food, body care and vitamin product sales grew by 22%, or $6.11 million, over the previous year to a total of $33.51 million.
Due to significant sales excluded from the SPINS data, such as The Body Shop, Whole Foods Market and restaurants, as well as the fact that many unreported leading mass-market brands of suntan lotion and sunscreen products include hemp oil, the HIA estimates the total retail value of North American hemp food, vitamin and body care product sales to be in the range of $100-120 million for 2008.
"Farmers who want to grow hemp to support the steady double-digit growth are mad as ever about being shut out by our backward federal government," says David Bronner, who makes Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps and uses hemp oil in all his top-selling products. "The HIA is confident that the total North American hemp food and body care market over the last year accounted for $100-120 million in retail sales," adds Bronner, who also chairs the HIA Food and Oil Committee.
"We expect double-digit growth in the hemp food sector to continue through 2009, as consumer interest in 'green' healthy products grows," comments Eric Steenstra, HIA Executive Director. "It is amazing that the growth of the sector is as strong as it is, given the stigma of hemp being the only food crop not legal to grow in the U.S."
A federal bill was introduced in Congress earlier this month that, if passed into law, would remove restrictions on the cultivation of non-psychoactive industrial hemp. The chief sponsors of HR 1866, "The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009," Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX), were joined by nine other U.S. House members from both sides of the aisle. More information on the bill can be found at: http://www.VoteHemp.com/legislation.
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) represents the interests of the hemp industry and encourages the research and development of new hemp products. More information about hemp's many uses and hemp advocacy may be found at www.HempIndustries.org and www.VoteHemp.com.
SOURCE Hemp Industries Association
http://www.VoteHemp.com/
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