Committees

Communication and Engagement Committee: Charles Kovess Co-Chair, Joseph Hickey Co-Chair

  • Build common industry positions
    Build a common database of hemp research and knowledge
  • Create an information clearing-house for hemp production, processing, trade, and markets
  • Organize FIHO working groups, seminars and meetings
  • Provide expert input to consensus-based policy
  • Support productive working relationships with global hemp leaders

Policy and Regulations Committee:
Charles Kovess Co-Chair, Rachele Invernizzi Co-Chair

  • Engage intergovernmental agencies
  • Assist members engage national delegations to these organizations
  • Share policy/regulatory perspective with national regulators – on request of members

Intergovernmental Agencies are:

  • UN Economic and Social Section (ECOSOC)
  • Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
  • Hemp’s role in human nutrition and crisis intervention
  • Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)
  • Pesticide and Herbicide Maximum Residue Levels
  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • Sustainability and Agriculture Development
    International Meteorological Organization (IMO)
  • International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
  • Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
  • Global Seeds Schemes
  • United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
  • Hemp’s role in sustainable Rural Development
    United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
  • Facilitating agri-food trade and development
    World Bank (WB)
  • Financing the global hemp industry
    World Customs Organization (WCO)
  • HS Code Standardization
  • World Trade Organization (WTO)
  • Liberalizing terms of trade in hemp products

Research and Standards Committee:
Keanan Stone Co-Chair, Terry Grajczyk Co-Chair

  • Support standardized terminology, specifications, practices, test methods, guides, and classifications
  • Support standardized terms of international trade, including Harmonized Codes and cannabinoid levels
  • Remove obstacles and unlock global expansion
  • Create an information database on completed and ongoing hemp research
  • Identify priority research required to advance the hemp industry
  • Facilitate communication and cooperation among hemp researchers

Sustainability Committee:
Hunter Buffington Co-Chair, Kyle Bingham Co-Chair

The goal is to advance, support and communicate sustainable developments in the hemp value chain through leadership, research/science, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to:

  1. Global repository for sustainability organizations/activities
  2. Understanding research that is already happening on sustainability
  3. Where there are already global and country-based standards
  4. Principles of sustainable hemp production
  5. Identify international strategic partners