Project Purpose
This project tests whether industrial hemp represents a commercially viable, environmentally defensible and strategically relevant opportunity for agricultural producers, regional communities and New England Landcare Network member organisations across the member-organisation region.
It is not a promotional project and it is not an opposition project. Its role is to test claims, identify trade-offs and support defensible decisions based on evidence.
Decision Standard
The assessment must be useful to people who need to make practical decisions.
| Audience | What the assessment needs to support |
|---|---|
| Farmers and landholders | Whether hemp is a realistic enterprise option under regional conditions. |
| Landcare members | Whether hemp aligns with environmental and community priorities. |
| Member organisations | Whether any education, convening, demonstration, partnership, monitor-only or no-role option is proportionate to the evidence. |
| Industry participants | Whether demand, processing and supply-chain pathways are credible. |
| Researchers | Whether evidence claims are traceable and appropriately qualified. |
| Government agencies | Whether regional, regulatory and policy context has been handled carefully. |
| Executive decision-makers | Whether risks, opportunities and uncertainties are clear enough for action. |
What The Project Must Do
| Requirement | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Be objective | Do not assume hemp is beneficial, viable, sustainable or unsuitable. |
| Use evidence | Prefer measured data, published research, government statistics and verifiable market evidence. |
| Show trade-offs | Record benefits, costs, risks, limitations and uncertainties. |
| Compare alternatives | Ask "compared with what?" rather than "is hemp good?" |
| Separate perspectives | Identify whether findings apply to producers, supply chains, NELN / Member Organisations, the environment or more than one perspective. |
Bottom Line
No conclusion should be treated as settled unless it is supported by evidence. The project should identify both opportunities and risks, and it should be clear where confidence is high, medium, low or unknown.