Enecta talking about Enecta, interview with Jacopo Paolini, founding  partner  together with Marco Cappiello of the Italian – Dutch Company.

“I try to be an example to the people working with us; the so-called “good father of the family” – are Jacopo’s first words of our chat in which he looks back at the very beginning of Enecta – an idea I gave birth to many years ago and which I developed to make it become what it is today; a small family. And as in daily life one can find friendships, relationships based on trust and positive thinking, but also envy, whims, doubts and fears”.

“For me it’s important to be there, always: to listen to the ideas, projects and problems of the people working with us; rewarding  those who are willing and worthy, stimulating those who need a gentle push in the back to proceed and helping those who make mistakes, analysing together where it went wrong and working to improve and become more efficient. I invest in the present, as if it were a small seed, so that one day, I hope soon, the people working with us can take my experience and use it to create something even bigger, like a beautiful plantation".

In Italy we witness a return of Hemp Farming; what do you note from your observation deck?

From my observation deck in Abruzzo, where I  spend the summer period to monitor the cultivations,  I love to watch the sky and the stars at night before I go to sleep; I feel the world is changing, whether in positive or in negative we will see, but the change that is going to come, will be important. 

With respect to the agricultural aspect, it’s…..immense. Growing  Hemp means – and this could be the situation for many years to come - for the farmers a return to cost-effective agriculture and cultivation, for mechanics and engineers the development of new machinery for seeding/irrigation/harvesting and drying procedures, for the Earth itself, in the areas where Hemp is planted, undergoing  phyto-remediation, which means cleaning out the soil from harmful substances and  re-enlivening  it, using plants. It will be fun!

 
What does it mean to grow Hemp today?

For me it means a return to reality: going back to the home I grew up in, working with my friends I’m involving in this project one at the time, like farmers/mechanics for example,  showing to those interested in  the project, that if a guy like me can make it, it could truly be worthwhile to grow Hemp; certainly not everything is that simple! 
 

In the specific case of  Enecta, what kind of project are you developing?

Personally … changing the world :)
 

We hear talking a lot about “sustainability” these days, what does it mean to grow Hemp in a sustainable manner?

My idea is simple: adapt technologies, experiences, knowhow, machineries already existing in the “Hemp Cultivations” project  introducing new elements like solar energy for lighting,  recovery of rainwater for irrigation and…well, I cannot reveal everything, can I?

What are the strong points of this plant?

Having withstood ungrounded demonization and accusations for hundreds and hundreds of years. Can you imagine what will happen when all these accusations will be disproved?

What do you advice to individuals who want to grow Hemp in Italy?

Education, not only in the literal sense of the term. Hemp is a plant with extraordinary properties, often not so easy to understand.  It can be used to produce  textiles,  green building, oil and flours, or, just like we do, Cannabinoid extracts. Whichever the objective, the starting point should always be the same: studying and obtaining knowledge of the plant with respect to the use one wants to make of it.

How do you see the future of this plant in Italy?

I ’ve decided not to look to the future for a while, but I can say that the present has a beautiful colour; green, like the colour of hope.

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