Cannabeesol®

Topic area
Agriculture and forestry, incl. value chain
Basic services, Leader, municipalities
Environment, biodiversity, nature conservation
Climate protection and climate change
Innovation

Disaggregation level
Agriculture
Education & lifelong learning
LEADER
Health
Biodiversity
Direct marketing
Short supply chains
Value added
Knowledge transfer

Project region
Upper Austria

Local Action Group (LAG)
LAG Zukunft Linz-Land

LE– Programming Period
LE 14–20

Project period
18.12.2020-31.12.2023 (geplantes Projektende)

Project costs overall
252.931,00€

Subsidy from LE 14-20
101.172,40€

Priority
EN - 19.2.1. Umsetzung der lokalen Entwicklungsstrategie

Project initiator
ARGE Cannabeesol

Short description

ARGE Cannabeesol® produces Austrian, organic commercial hemp products in accordance with biodiversity and bee protection. By complying with a defined production standard (100 percent Austrian, 100 percent organic, 100 percent bee protection) with transparent proof of origin and proof of organic standards, Cannabeesol® products achieve higher quality standards than existing cannabidiol (CBD) products on the market. With regard to bee protection, the production is professionally supervised and continuously evaluated. At the same time, the value of bees for the environment and society as well as the potential of hemp as a useful plant are being pedagogically prepared in demonstration fields. The communication between agriculture and society is thereby strengthened regionally.

Point of departure

Cannabidiol - CBD - is a component of commercial hemp, which can be used as a natural remedy for pain, inflammation, anxiety, but also illnesses such as migraine, diabetes and depression. CBD is also used in pediatric epilepsy and cancer pain management and is legally available.

In the USA, where in 2018 the "Hemp Farming Act" removed hemp products with less than 0.3 percent THC content (=tetrahydrocannabinol, psychoactive, illegal active ingredient of hemp) from the list of controlled substances, the market for CBD applications developed exponentially. Also in Europe, the interest and demand for CBD-applications is growing, although uncertainty and lack of knowledge still prevail to some extent. This is because there are still hardly any quality standards for CBD and hemp products in Austria, as there are in North America, for example. The problem is an often lack of transparency in the production of CBD products which are often produced indoors (artificial light, etc.) or from other production countries with few regulations.

CANNABEESOL® creates added value through cultivation and processing of commercial hemp by appreciating careful production in the region. As a 100 percent organic brand and with a focus on bee protection, value creation is increased and farms can generate more value from the products they produce themselves through product refinement. The versatile team of ARGE CANNABEESOL® complements different areas of expertise and creates a network between agricultural production, high-quality processing and professional distribution.

Targets and target groups

The aim of ARGE Cannabeesol® is to use hemp in a versatile way (flowers (oil), leaves (tea), seeds (oil), possibly later: stem (straw)) and to focus on high-quality, organic cannabidiol products.

This project is an investment in a young and exponentially growing market, which will gain large attention in the coming years.

Overview of innovation: Networking between agriculture / society, biodiversity, regionality, field education, agricultural production and bee protection in harmony.

The establishment of a 100 percent organic CBD brand made in Austria (Upper Austria) with a focus on biodiversity promotion and bee and insect protection is unique in Austria and beyond.

A complementary team of experts fills the value chain from cultivation to distribution and creates rural, regional, seasonal independence throughout the entire process chain.

Project implementation and measures

  • Construction of a drying and extraction facility (the drying plant is operated with renewable raw materials and an air circulation system for condensation and dehumidification, CO2 extraction for oil extraction from plant parts, heat recovery system)
  • Processing and production (machine for removing the stem, sorting machine, chopper, mill, measuring device, laboratory equipment, oil press, container laboratory
  • Marketing (branding, homepage, online store, image video etc.
  • Bee education (demonstration boards, material for a bee trail)

Cannabeesol® is a registered and protected trademark at the Austrian Patent Office. In addition, Cannabeesol® is registered and protected as a Union trademark within the EU.

Cannabeesol® combines industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) bee (bee) and natural sun-ripened (sol (lat.) = sun) biological production under one regional umbrella.

This project is among others already accompanied in a scientific work by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Institute for Marketing and Innovation.

Results and effects

In the fall of 2020, the educational presentation of hemp and bees was awarded first place in the Austrian Innovation Prize of the Young Farmers' Association.

The online shop already offers a wide range of organic hemp products.

In 2021 the BIO hemp oil was awarded the 1st prize at the direct from the farm fair in Wieselburg.