The Federation of International Hemp Organizations (FIHO) announces the start of its activities
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.
For more information:
Please send an email to: lorenzo@laiha.org