Mumbai-based Boheco is offering hemp fabric as a sustainable alternative to cotton. The company not only produces hemp textiles but also clothing like shirts, T-shirts, scarves, and tunics. The Bombay Hemp Company (Boheco) was founded in January 2013. The brand’s tagline is educate, cultivate, elevate and its aim is to become a world leader in industrial hemp production. The brand specialises in clothing but also makes medical marijuana, hemp food items, and Hempcrete Biocrete used to make housing.

Awareness about environmental damage of cotton production is rising, along with the rising suicide rates of cotton farmers who have seen their GM crops fail. This situation has led those interested in sustainability to search for an alternative.

Boheco currently has India’s largest seed bank with over 150 types of seeds and is receiving enquiries from farmers representing a total of 25,000 acres of land across India. Boheco is educating these farmers on the economic value of hemp and is trying to raise awareness among consumers.

Cultivation of hemp is considered more environmentally friendly than growing cotton, as it thrives in moderate climates, and doesn’t need artificial irrigation. Hemp is said to be ideally suited for crop rotation schemes and delivers around twice the fiber yield of cotton.