Supervisors

– Alastair Fuad-Luke, Design Research

– Secil Ugur Yavuz, Digital Modelling

Partners

– Eco Passion

– Trentino canapa

– ITAS Group

– Trionfi e Onorati

– Herman Kühebacher

– Rose Costa

– Arno Erlacher

– Cornelia Hainz

– Andrea Filini

In 2014 the European Union identified rural development as one of its main priorities, aiming to solve economic, social and environmental problems that affect rural areas by 2020. The question remains; how can the European economy be altered to further connect industry and agriculture in rural areas?

Since the 1950, synthetic fibers have taken precedence over natural fiber, such as hemp, upon which many farmers and craftsmen relied. During the last decade all around Europe, but especially in Italy, a revival of the hemp plant has been seen. Also thanks to many liberalization laws and propaganda, the crop has been clearly classified as legal. In the past, Italian hemp fiber was considered to be of world class quality, however in order to reduce costs, the hemp production has been mainly moved to developing countries. As a result, Italian hemp farmers currently harvest only the seeds, leaving the fiber decomposing on the field, missing out an economic opportunity.

“Campo Libero_the hemp project” envisions a short chain production of Italian hemp fiber, de-signing a mobile fibre extracting machine, designed specifically for the province of South Tyrol. The centralised system is thought to connect farmers and craftsmen of the same locality and develop with them a series of products. The mobile machine may be moved further in another province adapting itself according to the context and through its products materializing and communicating the identity of the place.