HempToday: What led the university to this emerging field and where does industrial cannabis fit within LISAF’s wider analysis agenda?
Ernesto Valenzuela: Industrial hemp fits within LISAF crop-innovation agenda as an emerging, versatile crop with strong sustainability potential. LISAF’s work in hemp reflects early-stage industry interest and the need for evidence-based research to assess agronomic performance, value-chain viability and regional development opportunities before large-scale commercial uptake.
HT: Hempcrete is getting worldwide notoriety. What makes panel-based hempcrete particularly important for Australia’s effort to create low-carbon buildings?
EV: From my perspective, hempcrete panels are promising because they combine very low embodied carbon with strong insulation, fire resistance and moisture regulation. They suit prefabrication, reduce on-site emissions, and use plant-based inputs that can be grown regionally in Australia, supporting rural jobs while helping the construction sector meet long-term climate and housing challenges.
HT: When examining the entire creation network, where are the biggest bottlenecks that need to be addressed before this you grow?
EV: Based on our work, the most urgent gaps are decortication and quality standardization. Reliable, well-scaled processing is essential to deliver consistent hurd quality for manufacturing. Without this backbone, prefabrication cannot scale efficiently. Targeted investment in processing infrastructure and quality control would unlock downstream innovation in panels, factories and construction uptake across Australia.
HT: One of the main problems that customers also raise is price. What actions was hempcrete panels take to make them more approachable to conventional materials?
EV: Cost competitiveness will not come from a single lever. Standardization can reduce risk and over-engineering. Scaling lowers unit costs through learning and throughput, and regional hubs cut transport and coordination costs by linking growers, processors, and panel plants. Together, these steps shift hempcrete from a bespoke product to a repeatable construction system with predictable costs.
Hs: In Australia’s housing and development environment, where do you believe hempcrete panels are most likely to get the most momentum in the near future?
EV: The strongest early adoption potential is in social and affordable modular housing, where whole-of-life performance matters as much as upfront cost. Hempcrete’s fire resistance, thermal comfort and durability align well with public procurement, sustainability targets and prefabricated delivery. Bushfire-resilient builds are a close second, particularly in regional areas facing rising climate risk.
HT: Building regulatioȵs and codes çan change quickly. What advancements in certification or regulatory reforms would have the biggest impact on increased adoption?
EV: The biggest accelerator would be nationally recognized performance-based pathways that allow hempcrete panels to demonstrate compliance without bespoke approvals. Clear guidance on fire, structural integration and durability testing, alongside deemed-to-satisfy options for standard panel systems, would reduce uncertainty for builders and certifiers. Aligning state interpretations and supporting pilot projects through government procurement would further normalize hempcrete within Australia’s building code framework.
