article · International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation
Growing environmental concerns such as climate change have increased interest in low embodied carbon options for green building projects. Although hemp-based materials are widely promoted in sustainable construction literature, their viability in Ghana has lacked empirical investigation. This study evaluates the factors that hinder the adoption of hemp as an alternative sustainable material within the Ghanaian building sector. Drawing on survey responses from professionals in construction, consulting, and development firms, the research found a moderate baseline awareness of hemp and its construction uses. However, several barriers limit widespread adoption. These include social perceptions conflating hemp with marijuana, a deficiency in local manufacturing expertise, difficulties for farmers in securing cultivation clearances, a lack of legislative support from the government, and insufficient consumer awareness concerning the benefits of hemp-based building components.
Efforts to lower the carbon footprint of the construction industry require viable sustainable materials. By identifying the specific cultural, technical, and regulatory barriers in Ghana, this research highlights why promising bio-based materials fail to take root. Understanding these non-technical blockages helps policymakers and green building advocates target the legal and educational reforms necessary to enable sustainable building practices.
This research informs construction firms, developers, and potential agricultural suppliers of the practical constraints in launching hemp-based building materials in Ghana. Commercial application appears to be at an early, pre-market stage. Progress towards commercialisation is currently blocked by absent government legalisation, lack of cultivation clearance for farmers, and a shortage of technical processing expertise, indicating that regulatory reform and capacity building must precede market entry.
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Purpose The increased awareness of global environmental threats like climate change has created an upsurge of interest in low embodied carbon building materials for green building delivery. Though the literature advocates for the use of hemp-based building materials, there is no evidence of studies to explore its potential use in Ghana. Therefore, this study explores the potential factors that limit the adoption of hemp as an alternative sustainable material for green building delivery in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was used to solicit the views of built environment professionals operating in construction, consulting and developer firms. The questions were developed through a comparative review of the related literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analysed via descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings On the average, the majority of the respondents showed a moderate level of awareness of hemp and its related uses in the construction industry. Also, certain key factors like the perceived association of hemp with marijuana, lack of expertise in the production of hemp-related building materials, farmers not getting the needed clearance for the cultivation of hemp, lack of legislation by the government in the legalisation of hemp and the inadequate knowledge of consumers on the benefits of hemp-based building materials were identified as potential limitations to the adoption of hemp as an alternative sustainable material for green building delivery. Originality/value The findings from this study provide insights into a less investigated area in sub-Saharan Africa and further provide new and additional information to the current state-of-the-art on the potential for the use of hemp in the building construction sector.
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DOI: 10.1108/ijbpa-11-2020-0100
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