Source: UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT submitted to
ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE HEMP INDUSTRY: OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
EXTENDED
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1022302
Grant No.
2020-67024-30955
Project No.
VT-0090CG
Proposal No.
2019-07402
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
A1661
Project Start Date
May 1, 2020
Project End Date
Apr 30, 2024
Grant Year
2020
Project Director
Darby, H. M.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
(N/A)
BURLINGTON,VT 05405
Performing Department
Com Dev & Applied Economics
Non Technical Summary
The project goal is to improve well-being, resilience and sustainability of rural communities by estimating and identifying economic opportunities within hemp based industries. Objectives are to:1. characterize the opportunities of hemp by building a hemp industry sector and estimating economic impact and linkages to other sectors using input/output models in four states; and2. develop and deliver Extension programming that provides informed economic information to foster the potential of hemp to revitalize rural economies.The need for the project is urgent. There are no official estimates of hemp's economic potential in the rural economy, nor information about which hemp industries are viable/sustainable. Yet, the number of hemp acres planted increased by 3,000% in the past 3 years and investment in manufacturing is rising steeply. There is no official hemp sector in the North American Industry Classification System used by Federal agencies to characterize businesses in the economy. The assembled team and study states of Colorado, Kentucky, North Carolina and Vermont are national leaders in hemp production/consumption research, and commercialization using hemp baled fiber, stalk, flower and seed for human and animal consumption.This project will use a mixed methods (expanded literature review, formative, secondary, and primary data collection, and development of a hemp sector for modeling, analysis and evaluation of selected market scenarios using IMPLAN). It will report the economic impact of a hemp sector through academic and other venues. And, it will develop and deliver Extension and other resources with key takeaways and identified best practices.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
40%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
6032299301060%
6092299209010%
9032299303030%
Goals / Objectives
The project goal is to improve well-being, resilience and sustainability of rural communities by estimating and identifying economic opportunities within hemp based industries. Objectives are to:1. characterize the opportunities of hemp by building a hemp industry sector and estimating economic impact and linkages to other sectors using input/output models in four states; and2. develop and deliver Extension programming that provides informed economic information to foster the potential of hemp to revitalize rural economies.The need for the project is urgent. There are no official estimates of hemp's economic potential in the rural economy, nor information about which hemp industries are viable/sustainable. Yet, the number of hemp acres planted increased by 3,000% in the past 3 years and investment in manufacturing is rising steeply. There is no official hemp sector in the North American Industry Classification System used by Federal agencies to characterize businesses in the economy. The assembled team and study states of Colorado, Kentucky, North Carolina and Vermont are national leaders in hemp production/consumption research, and commercialization using hemp baled fiber, stalk, flower and seed for human and animal consumption.This project will use a mixed methods (expanded literature review, formative, secondary, and primary data collection, and development of a hemp sector for modeling, analysis and evaluation of selected market scenarios using IMPLAN). It will report the economic impact of a hemp sector through academic and other venues. And, it will develop and deliver Extension and other resources with key takeaways and identified best practices.
Project Methods
This project will use a mixed method approach including an expanded literature review, formative research, secondary, and primary data collection, development of a hemp sector for input-output modeling, analysis and evaluation of selected market scenarios using IMPLAN, reporting of the economic impact of a hemp sector through academic and more popular venues, development and delivery of Extension and other resources with key takeaways and identified best practices, and evaluation of outreach.Expand the literature review to include the most up to date information (RESEARCH). The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) approach will be used to identify relevant academic literature (Liberati et al., 2009; Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, & Altman, 2009). ABI/INFORM Globalâ„¢ will be used to search for updates on hemp business and entrepreneurship. AGRICOLA, ECONLIT, JSTOR/Sustainability, REPPEC, E-Extension on-line Campus and CoP's, and ScienceDirect are useful for finding publications relevant to the economics of hemp. NEXUS-Uni provides access to popular articles on the U.S. and global hemp market.Engage the advisory board and think critically to develop the modeling approach that best characterizes the emerging hemp sector and associated industries, based on theory, research and stakeholder involvement (RESEARCH/EXTENSION).Conduct formative research/outreach by meeting with representative stakeholders (RESEARCH/EXTENSION). The team will interview key informant stakeholders across the hemp value chain. One or two key stakeholders in each part of the hemp value chain will be identified with the help of the advisory committee and the team and will be interviewed in-person. An expanded pre-analysis plan (PAP) will be developed.Identify and collect secondary data needed for IMPLAN analysis (RESEARCH). The process for creating a new industry requires editing model parameters from both within and outside the IMPLAN software (Schmit & Jablonski, 2017). In order to define appropriate rural Functional Economic Market Areas (FEMAs), which include places people live, work, and shop, we must consider commuting patterns, locations of production, location of processing, etc.Identification and recruitment of the sample for primary data collection (RESEARCH). Primary data are needed from representative stakeholders across the hemp value chain. A sampling frame will be developed by the research team from lists of members of both the National and State based Hemp Industries Associations (Keahey, 2018). IRB approval for all data collection will be obtained.The Center for Rural Studies (CRS) at the University of Vermont will assist with sample frame identification for the consumer survey. A stratified sample will be developed to obtain a consumer sample representative of the four states represented in this project. CRS conducts several surveys yearly and uses a variety of methods to develop sampling frames and collect survey data.Develop questionnaires needed to collect information from stakeholders across the hemp value chain (RESEARCH WITH TEAM INPUT). Questionnaires to develop the hemp sector and customize hemp associated industries for use in IMPLAN modeling will be developed based on a review of surveys used in past economic impact studies, enterprise budgets developed for KY and CO by co-investigators on this project with the intent of assuring the social accounting matrices developed reflect realistic local conditions in the four included states, and formative interviews with stakeholders (See, for example, (Becot, Kolodinsky, & Conner, 2015; Christainson, Jablonski, Stephens, & Joshi, 2019; Roche, Becot, Kolodinsky & Conner, 2016; Thilmany McFadden, Constanigro, Tegegne, Hines, & Bauman, 2013). The questionnaires will be programmed into LimeSurvey, the computer-assisted interviewing program used at UVM. LimeSurvey is a web-based interface for the creation and administration of surveys. It offers strong support for research surveys and has a variety of options, including branching logic, flexible question formats, de-identified participants, and multiple output formats and graphical displays.Conduct interviews and surveys with stakeholders all along the hemp supply chain to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and linkages across the supply chain (RESEARCH). After pre-testing of the instruments, three trained graduate students assigned to this project, (UVM, UK, CSU) will collect data from the sampling frame of hemp producers, processors, entrepreneurs and retailers via telephone. Based on Activity 4, above, we anticipate collecting 120+ interviews from stakeholders from producers through retailers in the four study states.Using collected data, create hemp sector and a baseline of the industry in IMPLAN as it looks in 2019/2020 in each of the targeted states (RESEARCH). We will then compare and contrast these baselines across the states. Economic impact assessment is commonly used to determine the effects of changes in levels of economic activity within a characterized region (the four target states).Create and evaluate different potential scenarios highlighting different directions forward for the hemp industry and use IMPLAN to calculate the economic contributions of those impacts to the identified regions (RESEARCH /EXTENSION). Once hemp's connections to the broader regional economy have been incorporated into IMPLAN, the model can then be used to evaluate the economic impacts from different hemp related investment scenarios.Develop and deliver outreach programming to provide stakeholders throughout the supply chain and policymakers information needed to make strategic investments in a hemp economy (RESEARCH/ EXTENSION). Extension programming and outreach will provide farmers, processors, end-users, educators, and policymakers with knowledge, tools, and networking opportunities needed to develop and support hemp production systems.

Progress 05/01/22 to 04/30/23

Outputs
Target Audience:In the third year of the project, as in prior years, our target audience is industry stakeholders, including the project advisory board members and members of the research community. The team has engaged academics, extension professionals, and policy makers through presentations, workshops, and outreach.In addition, stakeholders have participated in our annual research team meeting and report out. This past year it was held in Colorado. Colorado Department of Agriculture professionals, academic colleagues, our team members and students participated in person and virtually in a one day meeting. In these efforts, the team discussed the purpose of the project, and how the deliverables may help inform hemp industry services, academic initiatives, and policy decision-making around industrial hemp processing. Changes/Problems:We received a no cost extension year due to the late initiation of the project and the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on project progress. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project continues to support graduate students across all three of our institutions. Ph.D. students Aaisha al Maamari (Colorado State University), Hannah Lacasse (University of Vermont), and Jonathan Shepherd (University of Kentucky) continue to be key players in this project, and each are leading publications to be completed in the next year. In the last year, the University of Vermont also graduated two masters students who participated in this project: Amanda Faulkner received her Master's of Science in Community Development & Applied Economics, and Amelia Luke received her Master's of Public Administration. Amanda is the lead author on the glossary paper that was recently published in the Journal of Cannabis Research. UVM also engaged a new Ph.D. student, Teresa Mungazi, to join this project team. Teresa used national consumer survey data for a course paper in her first semester that she is now adapting into an article for publication, detailed above. This team also provided a forum for learning and networking outside of our team by hosting a poster session during our annual meeting at Colorado State University. We invited hemp researchers from across the university as well as representatives from the Colorado state government for an afternoon of knowledge sharing and connection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to academics and hemp industry stakeholders along the value chain (producers, processors, retailers) via conference presentations and written publications (see products). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the final no cost extenion year of this project, we will focus on finalizing analysis, including IMPLAN scenarios, writing up our findings for scholarly publications, and sharing our findings with fellow researchers and with stakeholders through presentations, lay publications, and events. Publications and Presentation: Since the close of this reporting period, the hemp glossary paper, detailed in the products list, was published in the Journal of Cannabis Research. We submitted the teaching case studies in June 2023, and we plan to submit the National Consumer Survey Paper led by Hannah Lacasse in the next few months. We will continue analysis for the National Consumer Survey paper led by Teresa Mungazi and prepare that paper for publication. The IMPLAN team will also continue work to finalize their tool and to develop papers for publication. Presentations: This team will give several presentations related to this project at the July 2023 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association conference in Washington, D.C. Hannah Lacasse will present on "National Stated Demand for Hemp Based Products" and Dr. Rebecca Hill will present on "The Economic Impact of Hemp--A Tool to Calculate Multipliers Associated with Hemp Production, Processing, and Sales." We plan to submit to present at other conferences later in this reporting year. We also plan to conduct several other presentations during this reporting year. Once the IMPLAN tool is finalized and published, we plan to hold a webinar about using the tool. We also plan to write about and present our findings to hemp growers, processors, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Research Activities: In the third year of this project, we made significant progress in our data analysis efforts and in developing publications. University of Vermont Ph.D. students Hannah Lacasse and Teresa Mungazi are each leading analysis projects based on the national consumer survey data collected in the prior year of this project. Ms. Lacasse's paper is entitled "Determinants of behavior towards hemp-based products: An application of the theory of planned behavior." Her study applies the theory of planned behavior to examine perceptions, values, and attitudes associated with the use of five different types of hemp-based products as reported in the National Consumer Survey. The results offer insight that can inform strategy development at all supply chain steps. This paper is fully drafted and will be submitted to a journal soon. Ms. Mungazi's paper explores consumer classification for hemp-based products. It employs consumer choice modelling to group consumers into segments based on hemp product categories they consider. This paper is a geographic expansion and replication study of the exploratory research into hemp consumption in Vermont led by PI Dr. Jane Kolodinsky. The goal of this paper is to establish the different marketing and policy implications associated with each consumer segment, as well as highlighting similarities and changes with the Vermont study. Ms. Mungazi and other members of our team are working to refine the methodology, and we aim to finish the analysis and draft the paper in the summer of 2023. A major focus of this reporting period was developing our IMPLAN tool. Co-PI Dr. Rebecca Hill and Ph.D. student Aaisha Al Maamari from Colorado State University lead these efforts. To date, we have finished building the required matrices to generate economic impacts and multipliers by hemp industry along the supply chain. We used cultivation and processing expenditure budgets to generate local expenditure costs, generate local expenditure for value added (employees compensation, proprietor income, other property type income, and taxes on production and imports) using the closest industries to hemp for CBD, fiber and grain. We incorporated hemp local expenditure into SAM. Then we built matrices to convert acres into dollar's output value and other matrices to translate change in dollar's value by one industry into resulting economic impacts (output, value added, labor income and jobs) and multipliers. The IMPLAN team has also started to build out scenarios to evaluate how redistribution of acres among hemp sectors (CBD, Fiber and grain), and shift in acres between hemp and non-hemp agricultural industry would change economic impacts. Another scenario evaluates the impact of change in supply and demand of raw hemp and so shift in equilibrium prices. In the coming year, the IMPLAN team will develop two additional scenarios. The fourth scenario will look at the change in processing capacity by evaluating the impact of change in the value of raw hemp sourced locally and imported from outside the state (or for cultivation sector: the proportion of raw hemp exported vs. what's sold locally). The final scenario will address the change in economic impacts due to change in the sale by retail industries (requires data to build the baseline scenarios). Simultaneously with developing the IMPLAN tool and the scenarios, the IMPLAN team has been working on a paper draft on the methodology used to build the input output model for the hemp industry. This year University of Kentucky Ph.D. student Jonathan Shepherd led the development of a case study for Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR). Dr. Hill, Dr. Tyler Mark, and Dr. Will Snell have been key supporters of this effort. The case study uses the evolution of the hemp economy as a teaching tool for the university economics classroom. Specifically, we aim to explain the forces driving hemp supply and demand (primary and derived), elasticity, price expectations and discovery, government intervention and policy, and contracts. The economics story we tell in this case study was reinforced from the research we have conducted for this project. We submitted the paper to AETR early in the final year of this project, and we believe that there is the potential for at least one more if not 2-3 more articles that can be written about the economics of hemp in a teaching format. Outreach and Engagement Activities: We held our second in-person Annual Meeting in Colorado in September of 2022. Project co-PIs and graduate students traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado, for a week of research development, field visits, meetings, and networking. This visit culminated in a full week of research sharing events on September 13, 2022. In the morning we held a virtual Advisory Board meeting attended by 6 representatives from USDA-AMS, one from USDA-ERS, one from the State of Vermont, and one private business owner. We presented on the recent history of the hemp market, the challenges faced by producers, preliminary findings from the National Consumer Survey, and our progress to date on the IMPLAN tool. We then opened the floor to questions and comments, and discussed future paths for our research and for the hemp industry at large. In the afternoon we hosted a combination poster session and networking event in person at Colorado State University. We invited all of the other researchers working on hemp at CSU to introduce them to our project. Members of the Colorado state government also attended and gave a presentation. In addition to engaging graduate students through their work on this project, Dr. Kolodinsky introduced this project to undergraduates in the USDA REEU Program she works on with Steven Kostell at the University of Vermont entitled "Agricultural Transition through Transformative Practices in Rural Economies with Fact: The Case of Hemp." Dr. Kolodinsky taught a social science module to program participants, who came from undergraduate institutions across the US. Her lesson used the national consumer hemp survey conducted for this project to teach about survey research and analysis methods. The Extension faculty and students on our project continue to incorporate this project into their work. Professor William Snell's extension appointment at the University of Kentucky is in the area of policy, trade, and marketing. He makes multiple presentations annually to agricultural organizations and businesses, policymakers, and farmers on the overall situation and outlook for Kentucky agriculture. This conversation generally has either presentation material or questions related to hemp and its overall impact on the Kentucky farm economy. University of Kentucky Ph.D. student Jonathan Shepherd is also an Extension Specialist, and this September he hosted a Hemp Field Day. He presented on current economics of hemp and highlighted ongoing research in this project. University of Vermont Extension Professor Heather Darby hosted two outreach events during this reporting year. On July 28, 2022, she hosted a Crop and Soil Field Day in Alburgh, Vermont. As part of this event she held a hemp intensive to train farmers and stakeholders on pest management, basic agronomics, and product development including hempcrete and oil. There were 180 attendees. On February 23, 2023, Dr. Darby held the annual virtual Hemp Conference. This was a full day hemp conference covering hemp grain, fiber, and flower production. Topics included marketing, product development, basic agronomics, pest management, and breeding. There were 89 attendees. UVM Extension also issued 3 blogposts relevant to hemp producers on the OutCroppings Blog, enumerated in "Products" below.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Falkner, A., Kolodinsky, J., Mark, T., Snell, W., Hill, R., Luke, A., Shepherd, J., & Lacasse, H. (2023). The reintroduction of hemp in the USA: A content analysis of state and tribal hemp production plans. Journal of Cannabis Research, 5(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-023-00181-0
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2023 Citation: Lacasse, H., Kolodinsky, J., Reynolds, T., and Darby, H., (2023). Modeling Hemp as an Innovative Input: An Application of the Diffusion of Innovations in a Sample of Hemp Aware Consumers. Agriculture and Human Values.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lacasse, H. and J. Kolodinsky (2022). Consumer trends and the consumption of industrial hemp-based products. Chapter 14 in Industrial Hemp: Food and Nutraceutical Applications. Elsevier, London, pp. 367-381.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kolodinsky, J., Lacasse, H., Mark, T., Hill, R., & Snell, W. (July 7, 2022). Examining typologies of consumption for hemp-based products: A case of U.S. consumers. 26th Annual International Consortium for Applied Bioeconomy Research (ICABR) Conference. Bologna, Italy.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (May 5, 2022). "Economics of Hemp Production." USDA-ARS Hemp Webinar Series. https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/geneva-ny/plant-genetic-resources-unit-pgru/docs/hemp-webinar-series/. Virtual. (100 participants)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kolodinsky, J. (March 31, 2023). "Expanding the hemp frontier through research." NOCO Hemp Conference. Colorado Springs, CO.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kolodinsky, J. and Mark, T. (February 23, 2023). "CBD Economics and Markets." UVM Industrial Hemp Conference. Virtual presentation.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Falkner, A. (2022). "Hemp in the United States: An Analysis of Policy and Consumption." University of Vermont Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 1551. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/1551
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Fire safety pointers for farmers processing hemp. (2022, August 10). Out Croppings: Important Crop News from the Field! https://blog.uvm.edu/outcropn/2022/08/10/fire-safety-pointers-for-farmers-processing-hemp/
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Lunt, E. (2023, March 14). NoCo9 Speaker Spotlight Series: Jane Kolodinsky of the University of Vermont. Lets Talk Hemp. https://letstalkhemp.com/noco9-speaker-spotlight-series-jane-kolodinsky-of-the-university-of-vermont/
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Managing disease on hemp farms. (2022, August 23). Out Croppings: Important Crop News from the Field! https://blog.uvm.edu/outcropn/2022/08/23/managing-disease-on-hemp-farms/
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Smith, Stephanie. (2022, September 19). Sunsetting of Vermonts hemp program and the transitioning to the U.S. domestic hemp production program. Out Croppings: Important Crop News from the Field! https://blog.uvm.edu/outcropn/2022/09/19/sunsetting-of-vermonts-hemp-program-and-the-transitioning-to-the-u-s-domestic-hemp-production-program/
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kolodinsky J. , Goddard, E., and Dolan, P. (August 2022). A Discrete Choice Experiment for Hemp Textiles in the U.S. and Canada. AAEA National Meeting. Anaheim, CA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lacasse, H., Kolodinsky, J., Mark, T., Hill, R., & Snell, W. (May 18, 2022). "Choosing hemp food: The influence of perceptions on U.S. consumer propensity to use hemp food." AFHVS 2022: Cultivating Connections - Exploring Entry Points into Sustainable Food Systems. Athens, GA.


Progress 05/01/21 to 04/30/22

Outputs
Target Audience:In the second year of the project, similar to its first year, the target audience has continued to includeindustry stakeholders, including the project advisory board members and members of the research community. The team has engaged academics, extension professionals, and policy makers through conference presentations, workshops, and outreach. In these efforts, the team presented on the purpose of the project, and how the deliverables may help inform hemp industry services, academic initiatives, and policy decision-making around industrial hemp processing. The project team has also indirectly engaged additional stakeholders in the value chain by conducting a national hemp consumer survey with a representative sample of the U.S. population (n=2,000). Changes/Problems:Due to a delay in OMB processing of Cost of Production Survey commissioned by USDA-AMS the survey has been delayed by over one and a half years. This survey was specifically mentioned in the Federal Registry as a document that OMB has failed to advance. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/23/2022-03840/submission-for-omb-review-comment-request What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In its second year, one of the primary focuses of the project continued to be training and professional development particularly in relation to its graduate students. This project currently supports 3 graduate student(s) directly. All students working on the project team have received IRB training. In Vermont and Kentucky, graduate students continued to be trained in developing a database of industrial hemp terms used in state hemp policies. In Vermont, one graduate student continued to receive training in developing surveys creating/developing and administering online survey using online software. In both Vermont and Colorado, graduate students gained further skills in IMPLAN/input-output modeling for industrial hemp sector. Additionally, students have been mentored through a qualitative analysis and report writing process. In this team, they have learned how to code qualitative data, the process of tracking methodology, and how to write a final report from results. Each graduate student has presented their work to an audience, either internally or to external stakeholders at conferences. All students have received one-on-one mentorship, as well as instruction on working with multistate partners and team collaboration. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to academics and hemp industry stakeholders along the value chain (producers, processors, retailers) via conference presentations and written publications (see products). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the third year of the project, the team will continue its work on the following tasks: - Publication of a hemp industry glossary for use by stakeholders and the general public. - Continued study of the policy implications of inconsistencies across hemp industry terminology. - Data analysis of the national consumer hemp survey, with the intention of publicizing findings via written and verbal communications products, such as journal article(s), conference posters, and presentations. - Engagement of the advisory board as the IMPLAN models/scenarios are refined and additional information is collected. The team plans on meeting in person again in Year 3 and will invite members of the advisory board to attend the meeting. - Further develop / improve hemp industry scenarios in IMPLAN for analysis and move towards publication of a hemp industry modeling tool.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project's goal is to fill in the knowledge gaps that currently exist across hemp-based sectors by characterizing economic opportunities of the hemp industry, estimating the actual economic impact of major sectors of hemp, and to develop programming that will provide up-to-date industry information for hemp industry stakeholders. In the second year of this project, the research team--including researchersfrom the University of Vermont, the University of Kentucky, and Colorado State University--has worked together in identifying primary/secondary data needs and has engaged in rigorous data collection and analysis efforts while staying in consultation with the project advisory board members to ensure that there is alignment between expected and actual needs. The three primary products that were actively being developed during Year 2 included: (a) A comprehensive glossary of hemp industry terms; (b) A survey instrument, dataset (n=2,000), and analysis of consumer attitudes/preferences surrounding hemp, and (c) Multiple IMPLAN-informedmodels for hemp industry scenarios in Vermont, Kentucky, and Colorado. These products will assist in furthering the goals of the study, which are meant to support the development of a burgeoning hemp industry in the United States. Specifically, the team accomplished the following: 1. Completed an expanded literature review: VT and KY graduate students worked on compiling a detailed literature review of 69 hemp production plans across US states and tribal territories, as well as across other key scholarship. 2. Developed a glossary of hemp industry terminology: Graduate students at VT and KY were assigned to develop a glossary of hemp industry terms from the above state and tribal policies. This database will be published widely in year 3 of the project. Findings from this work were analyzed and written up as a journal article which is currently in peer review. 3. Designed and deployed a national consumer survey to determine consumer awareness and perceptions of a wide array of hemp products. Originally piloted in Vermont, the consumer survey was disseminated across a representative sample of US-consumers (n=2,000). 45% of respondents were already purchasers of hemp products. Data analysis is ongoing and will continue into Year 3, though preliminary findings have been presented at conferences. In addition, a stakeholder survey was deployed and analyzed to collect information about hemp production, future projections, and industry perceptions. 4. Identified and collected secondary data for IMPLAN: The team continued to identify and collect data that was needed to build the IMPLAN models and scenarios. Additional secondary data is being collected by the team. 5. Further developed industry baselines to create IMPLANmodels: Using the information from the literature and from key datasets, the team worked with graduate students to continue developing hemp sector input/output models. Significant progress has been made in developing IMPLAN models for different hemp industry scenarios. Graduate students in VT, KY and CO have been trained to build these models and are being mentored by project PIs through the process. 6. Engaged key stakeholders and advisory board members in developing the modeling and analysis approach: The team leveraged stakeholder expertise in an in-person workshop at the University of Kentucky (October 2021) to demonstrate progress on programmatic activities, as well as to discuss key transitions across the industry. 7. Conduct formative research and outreach: The team continues to present its findings at agricultural and hemp industry conferences to share information and receive feedback from the broader research community.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Al Maamari, A. (2022). "Estimating the economic impacts of hemp production in the U.S." University of Vermont Industrial Hemp Conference. Virtual Presentation. March 15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lacasse, H. (2022). "Choosing Hemp Food: The Influence of Perceptions on US Consumer Propensity to Use Hemp-Based Food." Cultivating Connections Conference. In-person presentation. May 19.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lacasse H, Kolodinsky J, Reynolds T, and Darby H, (submitted Dec. 2021). "Modeling Hemp as an Innovative Input: An Application of the Diffusion of Innovations in a Sample of Hemp Aware Consumers." Agriculture and Human Values.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kolodinsky J, Lacasse H and Shrum T. (2021). "Emerging Consumer Markets for Hemp Products. AAEA 2021 annual meetings." Symposium: Applied Hemp Research in Agricultural and Consumer Economics. San Antonio, Texas. July.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kolodinsky J and Lacasse H. (2021). "Characteristics important to the consumer hemp market" and "Trends in Consumer DemandBack to the 4 Ps in a Global Market." AAEA National Meeting. San Antonio, TX. July.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kolodinsky J and Lacasse H. (2021). "Consumer Demand for Hemp Products Beyond CBD" In AAEA track session: Hemp: Identifying issues across the value chain. AAEA National Meeting. San Antonio, TX, July.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (2022). "Factors Impacting Acreage and THC Levels of Hmep Producers in Kentucky." CSU Hemp Working Group. Fort Collins, CO. March 28. (10 participants)
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lacasse H and Kolodinsky J. (in press 2022). "Consumer trends and the consumptions of industrial hemp-based products." Chapter 14 in Industrial Hemp: Food and Nutraceutical Applications. Elsevier.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kolodinsky J and T Mark. (2022). "University Research Ramps Up on Hemp. Hemp: An industry in search of itself." NOCO Hemp Conference. Denver, CO. March.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark T and Kolodinsky J. (2022) "An Industry Finding Its Way." University of Vermont Industrial Hemp Conference. Keynote Virtual Presentation. March 15-16. (40 participants)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (2022). "Hemp in the US." S-1084: Industrial Hemp Production, Processing, and Marketing in the U.S. Virtual Conference. February 17. (50 participants)
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2022 Citation: Falkner A, Kolodinsky J, Mark T, Snell W, Hill R, Luke A, Shepherd J, Lacasse H. (2022, in review). "The Reintroduction of Hemp in the United States: A Content Analysis of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans." Journal of Cannabis Research.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kolodinsky, J. (2021). "The Potential of Hemp for Community Economic Development: From Consumer Demand through Community Well Being." Lecture, University of Alberta. November.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Falkner, A. (2022). "A Content Analysis of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans." University of Vermont Industrial Hemp Conference. Virtual Presentation. March 15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Falkner, A. (2022). "A Content Analysis of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans." University of Vermont Student Research Conference. Presentation. April 22.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lacasse, H. (2022). "Searching for hemp: A national outlook on consumer information seeking and use of hemp-based products." University of Vermont Industrial Hemp Conference. Virtual Presentation. March 15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (2022). "Lessons Learned from Risk Management Extension Programming with Hemp." Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. February 12-15. (10 participants)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (2022). "Social Acceptance of CBD Usage." Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. February 12-15
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (2022). "A Study on THC Level of Industrial Hemp in Kentucky: Agronomic and Economic Factors." Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. February 12-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (2022). "What Makes Hemp Economically Attractive: A Case of Kentucky Hemp Farmers." Southern Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. February 12-15.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021). "Hemp Demand and Willingness to Pay for It." Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting. Austin, TX. August 1-August 3. (35 participants)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021). "Demand for Hemp Products." Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting. Austin, TX. August 1-August 3.
  • Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Snell, W., K. Burdine, J. Shockley, J. Stowe, G. Halich, T. Woods, T. Mark. J. Shepherd, J. Pierce, and J. Stringer. (2021). "Ag Economic Situation & Outlook U.S. and Kentucky." https://agecon.ca.uky.edu/ag-economic-situation-outlook. December.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Lacasse, H. (2021). "Examining Consumer Perceptions And Behaviors Toward Hemp-Based Products." University of Vermont Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 1447. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/1447
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Falkner, A. (2022). "Hemp in the United States: An Analysis of Policy and Consumption." University of Vermont Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 1551. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/1551
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Mark, T. (2022). "Economics of Hemp Production." USDA-ARS Hemp Webinar Series. https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/geneva-ny/plant-genetic-resources-unit-pgru/docs/hemp-webinar-series/. Virtual. May 5. (100 participants)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kolodinsky, J. (2022, forthcoming). "Consumer Preferences for Sustainability Labels on Hemp Textiles." AAEA Conference. July 31 - August 2.


Progress 05/01/20 to 04/30/21

Outputs
Target Audience:In this first year of the project, the target audience has been stakeholders, including the project advisory board members. In the effort to create the economic impact model, the project team has engaged the advisory board in developing the modeling approach, which included the development of a diagram of the industrial hemp value chain. The project team has also engaged additional stakeholders in the value chain by conducting focus groups with industrial hemp processors. The results from the focus group also serve in the development of the modeling of the economic impact model. The team has also engaged academics, extension professionals, and policy makers through conference presentations, workshops, and outreach. In these efforts, the team presented on the purpose of the project, and how the deliverables may help inform academics, service providers, and policy makers around industrial hemp processing. Changes/Problems:Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was not able to meet the goal of traveling to meet in person as a team. The team was also not able to conduct in-person interviews. However, the team was able to conduct virtual interviews/focus groups and has a plan to continue in-person interviews in Year 2 as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In the first year, the primary focus on training and profession development is focused on graduate students. This project currently supports 3 graduate students directly. All students working on the project teamhave received IRB training. In both Vermont and Colorado, graduate students were trained on IMPLAN/input-output modeling for industrial hemp sector. In Vermont and Kentucky, graduate students were trained in developing a database of industrial hemp terms used in state hemp policies. In Vermont, one graduate student was trained in developing surveys creating/developing and administering online survey using online software. Additionally, students have been mentored through a qualitative analysis and report writing process. In this team, they have learned how to code qualitative data, the process of tracking methodology, and how to write a final report from results. All students received mentorship and instruction on working with multistate partners and team collaboration. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to academics and hemp industry stakeholders along the value chain (producers, processors, retailers) via conference presentations (see products). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the second year of the project, the team plans on doing the following: - Continued expansion of the literature review. - Continued engagement of the advisory board as the IMPLAN model is built and additional data is collected. The team plans on meeting in person in Year 2 and willinvite members of the advisory board to attend the meeting. - Round out the creation of the hemp sector in IMPLAN for analysis. - Implement both stakeholder and consumer surveys in VT, KY, and CO. - Complete secondary data collection. - Determine the best way to disseminate information about the Hemp Terms Glossary for public consumption.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This project's goal is to fill in the knowledge gaps in hemp-based industries by characterizing the opportunities of the hemp industry, estimating the actual economic impact of major sectors of hemp, and to develop programming that will provide up-to-date industry information for hemp industry stakeholders. In this first year, the project team, including University of Vermont, University of Kentucky, and University of Colorado, has worked together identify the sectors of the hemp industry to be studied, identify the primary and secondary data needs, consult with the project advisory board members to ensure that there is alignment between expected and actual needs, and created a database of hemp terms based on state rules. All of these products will move the project forward in the subsequent years of study towards the goal of fostering hemp industry. Specifically, the team accomplished the following: Began an expanded literature review: VT and KY graduate students worked on compiling literature that will become an expanded literature review. Engaged advisory board to develop the modeling approach: The team engaged the advisory board in a multi-day workshop to present a sector model, as well as to discuss key branches of the Fiber, Grain and Flower sectors of industrial hemp. Create hemp sector and a baseline of the industry: Using the information from the literature and from the advisory board workshops, the team worked with graduate students to start developing hemp sectors in IMPLAN. Graduate students in VT, KY and CO have been trained to create the sectors, and are being mentored by project PIs through the process. Develop two questionnaires. The first is the stakeholder survey, which will help to expand the team's understanding of the current conditions and the future of the hemp industry. This survey is being tested (as of May 2021) with a group of US hemp industry stakeholders. The second is a consumer survey, which was piloted in Vermont. The consumer survey will be implemented in Year 2 of the project in Kentucky and Colorado. Conduct formative research/outreach: The team conducted focus groups and will be disseminating a survey to stakeholders to better understand the current and future sectors of industrial hemp. This data will help to round out the IMPLAN modeling. Identify and collect secondary data for IMPLAN: The team has identified the data that is needed to build the IMPLAN model, which have already been used to begin building the model. Additional secondary data is being collected by the team. Develop a glossary of hemp industry terminology: Graduate students at VT and KY were assigned to develop a glossary of hemp industry terms from state and tribal policies. This database will be published widely in year 2 and 3 of the project.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021, February 26) Economic impacts of hemp-based industries on rural communities [Conference presentation]. Industrial Hemp Conference 2021, virtual platform via University of Vermont Extension. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2021%20Events/Hemp%20Conf/2021_HempConfAgenda_FINAL.pdf
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Lacasse, H., Kolodinsky, J. & Mark, T. (2021, February 26). Consumer perceptions of hemp-based products. 2021 Industrial Hemp Conference. University of Vermont Extension. https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Northwest-Crops-and-Soils-Program/2021%20Events/Hemp%20Conf/2021_HempConfAgenda_FINAL.pdf
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Submitted Year Published: 2021 Citation: Hill, R. (2021, August). Evolution of federal and state hemp programs [Presentation]. Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, Austin, TX.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Snell, W.M. (2020, November 20). Hemp: Opportunities, Obstacles, and Outcomes Learned by U.S./Kentucky Tobacco Farmers, International Tobacco Growers Association Annual Meeting, Portugal, virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021, February 11). Hemp economic landscape [Presentation]. S-1084 Annual Meeting. Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, T. (2020, December 15). Hemp markets update including considerations of the CBD influence [Presentation]. Hemp @ Year 1; ASTA Hemp Seed Webinar, Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, T. (2020, October 27). An overview of the United States hemp pilot program from 2014-2019-Whats ahead? [Presentation]. Applied Agriculture Economics Association Conference. Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, T. (2020, October 6). Production economics and contracting within the hemp industry [Presentation]. Applied Agriculture Economics Assocation. Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, T. (2020, July 8). Economics and marketing overview [presentation]. 2020 National Hemp Research & Education Virtual Conference. Virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021, January 12). Kentucky 2020 & Insurance Update [Conference presentation]. Empire State Producers Expo, virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021, January 11). Economics of Hemp Production [Presentation]. Delaware Agriculture Week, virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, T., (2020, December 8-9). Current/Future Hemp Outlook [Presentation]. University of Kentucky Virtual Hemp Field Day, virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, Tyler (2020, November 6) Potential for Hemp Fiber [Presentation]. NextGen Webinar, virtiaul.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, Tyler (2020, Novemer 5). Economics of Hemp in 2020 and Beyond [Presentation]. Maryland Eastern Shores Virtual Hemp Field Day, virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, Tyler (2020, September 18). Hemp Economics and Fiber [Presentation]. NextGen Corporation, virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021, March 5). Economics of Hemp [Conference Presentation]. 2021 Ohio Land Grant Hemp Conference: Looking Back to Plan for the Future. Virtual Meeting. March 5.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mark, T. (2021, February 26). 2021 Growing Season and Beyond [Conference Presenation]. 2021 Industrial Hemp Conference, Virtual Meeting.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, T. (2020, November 3). Hemp Economic Overview [Presentation]. Vermont Train the Trainer Workshop, virtual.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Mark, T. (2020, September 10). Hemp Economic Outlook [Presentation]. Virginia Hemp Virtual Conference, virtual.