Green Economy: The Women at the Heart of Ukraine’s Hemp Revolution

Tetiana’s industrial hemp manufacturing business is creating new jobs for locals and displaced people in northeastern Ukraine.

Sumy, Ukraine – Blankets, kombucha, toys, oil, soap, shoes. This collection of seemingly unrelated items and more line the shelves of a small shop in Sumy. But there is a common thread between them: industrial hemp.

Tetiana and Svitlana run their business out of an old textiles factory in war-stricken northeastern Ukraine. From producing blankets to stuffing toys, their team uses hemp fabrics and filler to make the items on display in their shop.

Sumy – where the business is located – is the Ukrainian region with the longest border with the Russian Federation. Residents have been fleeing areas close to the border since the start of the war because of ceaseless, deadly shelling. Over 80,000 people are displaced throughout the region, many of whom are living in the regional capital city.

In the shop, customers can find hemp products from several small manufacturers.

The team is working on a new line of children’s bedding sets.

Although Sumy city has been affected less directly by the war than the wider region, it can be a challenge for private companies to take the risk of investing in businesses located some 40 kilometres from the border. With business closures, low income and a lack of job opportunities, the local economy has been stagnating.

Yet, despite these challenges and the dangers in the region, the production of hemp, and the surrounding industry, has been gaining momentum. Stigma is fading and more Ukrainians are ready to opt for this sustainable product, without realizing its traditional roots.