FINOLA is the world’s leading producer of hempseed and useful flowers. It was developed in Finland in 1995 under the breeder’s code FIN-314, and independent agricultural trials for Plant Variety Rights (PVR) began in the Netherlands during 1997. The PVR for FINOLA was eventually granted by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) in 1999. The FINOLA oilseed hemp variety was finally admitted to the European Union’s list of subsidized crops in February of 2003, soon after the European Commission had officially recognized oilseed hemp as an industrial crop. Before that time, hemp was primarily used for fibre production. Before 2003, it was a completely new idea to grow hemp specifically for grain production. Although the situation was bleak in these early years, we decided to continue. Because we could, and because we thought this agricultural innovation was important to the health of our plant and to the health of our species.

FINOLA is the world’s leading producer of hempseed and useful flowers. It was developed in Finland in 1995 under the breeder’s code FIN-314, and independent agricultural trials for Plant Variety Rights (PVR) began in the Netherlands during 1997. The PVR for FINOLA was eventually granted by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) in 1999. The FINOLA oilseed hemp variety was finally admitted to the European Union’s list of subsidized crops in February of 2003, soon after the European Commission had officially recognized oilseed hemp as an industrial crop. Before that time, hemp was primarily used for fibre production. Before 2003, it was a completely new idea to grow hemp specifically for grain production. Although the situation was bleak in these early years, we decided to continue. Because we could, and because we thought this agricultural innovation was important to the health of our plant and to the health of our species.