#Natural Fibers

2024-07-11

Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp announces positive outlook for 2024 flax harvest

The Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp is pleased to announce a positive outlook for the 2024 flax harvest. As the flax pulling period commences, the industry is optimistic due to favorable weather conditions that provide an ideal context for the upcoming harvest.

Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp’s latest estimates predict average straw yields of 6-7 tons per hectare for spring flax, a significant milestone that has not been seen since 2019. While winter flax, cultivated on 30,000 hectares for this harvest, shows slightly lower performance with the overall prospects remaining strong. Flax straw, the raw material for fibre extraction during scutching, is expected to be abundant.

The area under cultivation for European Flax™ is projected to reach at least 180,000 hectares for both spring and winter flax combined, the highest since 2020. This expansion suggests that the European sector is poised to achieve record level yields of flax straw, the building block for premium flax fibres for composite applications, in a single harvest.

Whilst the exact amount of flax fibre to be extracted from this volume remains undetermined at this stage, the retting process, set to occur in the summer, will provide more detailed production output data.

Scutching of the current harvest is scheduled to begin in Autumn 2024 in French, Belgian and Dutch factories.

Flax pulling period begins with optimism with harvest on track to meet market demand © 2024 Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp

European Flax-Linen & Hemp step into advanced manufacturing: Enabling filament winding, 3D printing and high-performance composite processes

The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp announces a new wave of technological advancements demonstrating how flax-linen and hemp fibres are now being successfully integrated into advanced composite manufacturing processes. These developments mark a transition beyond traditional hand lay-up techniques, positioning natural fibres as credible, scalable solutions for high-performance industrial applications.

Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp expands technical capabilities with addition of CIRCULAR STRUCTURES

The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp is pleased to welcome CIRCULAR STRUCTURES, a Bremen-based platform for sustainable material development and product incubation, to its Technical Section. This addition further enhances the Alliance’s mission to accelerate the industrial adoption of European-grown flax and hemp fibres in high-performance composite applications.

Groundbreaking architectural projects using natural fibres

Paris, May 19 2025 : The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp is proud to spotlight a growing wave of innovative architectural and civil engineering applications featuring flax and hemp fibres. As the global construction industry turns toward sustainable solutions, flax and hemp are emerging as high-performance, low-impact alternatives for a new generation of bio-based architecture.

Rieter appoints Daniel Lippuner as new CEO as Thomas Oetterli steps down

Thomas Oetterli has decided to step down from his function as CEO, effective October 31, 2026, and hand over the Chairmanship of the Board of Directors. “After the successful implementation of the Next Level performance program, the structural measures initiated to consolidate the sites and the acquisition of Barmag, the time has come to hand over responsibility to new hands,” explains Thomas Oetterli.

ALLIED expands down traceability with lot-level carbon footprint data

ALLIED Feather + Down has expanded its TrackMyDown traceability platform to include validated cradle-to-gate carbon footprint data linked to individual down lots. The initiative is designed to provide brands and consumers with more detailed environmental information on the materials used in finished products and could also support future data requirements associated with Digital Product Passports.

Long John puts KARL MAYER's RDJ 7/3 into operation and strengthens its position as a market leader

KARL MAYER has just unveiled its new RDJ 7/3 Jacquard Double Needle Bar Raschel Machine in the international trade press, and the innovation is already causing a stir in the market: The Long John Group, a leading manufacturer of performance footwear fabrics and a long-standing partner of renowned brands, was the first customer to invest in the new machine and celebrated its official launch at its Indonesian plant on August 20.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.

VDMA Textile Machinery with new Executive Board

At the general meeting of VDMA Textile Machinery held in Hanover at the end of September, Dr Janpeter Horn, Managing Director of A. Herzog Maschinenfabrik, was re-elected as Chairman of the trade association. Regina Brückner, managing partner of Brückner Trockentechnik, and Verena Thies, managing partner of Thies Textilmaschinen, will once again serve as vice-chairs for the next four years.