Kontoor Brands, Inc. a global lifestyle apparel company, announced an expansion of its collaboration with Dallas-based Panda Biotech, LLC, an emerging leader in the industrial hemp fiber industry. With this collaboration, Kontoor Brands and Panda Biotech are working to bring traceability and scale to the textile-grade cottonized hemp grown and processed in the United States.
“Sustainable hemp creates the perfect complement fiber to cotton. We are excited by the opportunity to advance the denim industry’s use of environmentally friendly hemp to craft high-quality, eco-conscious apparel,” said Dhruv Agarwal, Senior Director of Global Material Innovation and Product Development, Kontoor Brands. “Our work with Panda Biotech has been focused on making truly sustainable hemp, unlocking an additional commercialized fiber crop for American farmers, and providing consumers with access to more sustainable apparel.”
“As a leading global denim manufacturer, with vast experience in bringing innovative fibers and processes to market, Kontoor Brands has been an invaluable ally as we build the largest industrial hemp processing facility in the United States for high-quality, textile-grade fiber and hurd for numerous sustainable manufacturing applications,” said Dixie Carter, President of Panda Biotech. “We have been working with Kontoor since our company was founded, and we are aligned in our desire for our domestically grown fiber to be the most traceable hemp in the world and processed using renewable practices. We are excited to be working with Kontoor and its iconic global brands to expand access to domestically grown and processed hemp.”
As Kontoor and Panda Biotech have been working toward the commercialization of domestically grown and processed hemp, the companies are sharply focused on traceability from farm to product. Industrial hemp is a regenerative crop due to its ability to grow with little water, minimal-to-no pesticides and herbicides, production of a high per acre fiber yield, and absorption of more carbon dioxide per acre than any forest or commercial crop.
