The Australian Industrial Hemp Conference (AIHC) is built around collaboration across the industry. The 2026 theme, "Growing Together," reflects the event's stated aim since its first edition in 2018 to enhance cooperation between growers, processors, businesses and researchers.
The conference runs across four days and covers three main areas.
1. Materials and Built Environment (Day 1)
This stream focuses on hempcrete, hemp composites, prefabrication, fibre testing and processing, and construction applications. Presenters include Otetto, Australian Hemp Masonry, CSIRO and Deakin University, along with a session featuring designer Joost Bakker discussing the Zac Effron residential hemp build. With Advanced Fibres and Deakin's Carbon Nexus and fibre testing facility also involved, Geelong serves as a natural fibre and building-materials hub for this part of the programme.
2. Policy and Inquiry Outcomes (Day 2)
This session is centred on the Federal Senate Inquiry into the industrial hemp industry, with Senator Richard Colbeck presenting inquiry findings alongside Rachel Payne (MP), Maxine Shea (iHemp NSW/Hemp Collective) and Matt Lariba-Taing, President of the Australian Hemp Council. A global production and trade report from Dr Ernesto Valenzuela of La Trobe University will also be presented, combining the domestic regulatory picture with international market context.
3. Agronomy, Genetics and Cropping Systems (Day 2, afternoon)
Chaired in part by Rob Eccles, this stream covers new hemp varieties, QTL mapping, AgriFutures Industrial Hemp Variety Trials, grain and winter cropping, grazing applications, and life-cycle assessments of cropping systems. It draws on research from Southern Cross University, Deakin University, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
The programme closes with "Where to Next?", a forward-looking industry discussion chaired by Phil Warner, including a presentation on AgriFutures Program of Research by Professor Tobias Kretzschmar and Moving forward (what, who, how & when) by the TCI Network. This session brings together perspectives on the direction of the industry going forward.
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