Pithoragarh, 6 June: Girardinia diversifolia (Himalayan nettle), a plant that may be harvested for its fibre, is critically important to the subsistence of people who live in remote mountain settlements in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Khar, a small town in the Darchula subdistrict of the Pithoragarh region of Uttarakhand, is well-known for its production of textiles made from Himalayan nettle.
Its fabric and other items are widely recognised as superior quality and are marketed in local, national, and even worldwide markets. It is part of the Pangaia brand’s ongoing effort to create substitutes for “overproduced, resource-intensive materials like cotton” that the Himalayan nettle was recently employed as a fibre in beaded denim. Together, Himalayan women who sell Pangaian nettles have found social solidarity via this practise.
Pangaia’s head of innovation, Dr. Amanda Parkes, has said that the company’s goal is to maximise profits while also creating a model of sustainability.
Himalayan nettle is also used in conventional medicine to treat a broad range of conditions, including but not limited to: diabetes, asthma, gastritis, headache, joint pain, rheumatism, TB, gonorrhoea, and difficulties during childbirth.
Broken bones, internal traumas, and blood cleansing are among of the other traditional use. It is also well-known for the many textile, rope, carpet, bag, and other home goods that can be crafted from its fibre and bark. It is one of the most important non-timber forest products in the Himalayan area, where many people survive off the land. The green vegetable is made by boiling the young leaves and blossoms. Marinated seeds are eaten after being roasted.
Shiny, on the outside, is Himalayan nettle. After being spun, its thread is finer than linen’s and stronger and more elastic than either cotton or silk.
Demand for sustainable fibres and cotton alternatives has increased in the West, prompting many farmers and manufacturers in Germany to start cultivating nettle due to the plant’s adaptability, fineness, and versatility.
Tensile strength is another quality nettle fibres exhibit because to their high cellulose content. Tensile strength in all-natural fibres typically tops out at 40 and 50 cN/tex. Cotton is 16–17 cN/tex, linen 20–23 cN/tex, hemp 22–30 cN/tex, and polyester 60 cN/tex and above.
Since there is no prohibition on cultivating nettles, unlike hemp fibres, they are a legitimate crop with economic potential. Nettles, like hemp, need almost little irrigation or pesticides while growing. Because of their quick regenerative potential brought on by their high growth rate and perennial nature, they may be harvested year.
As a result, researchers and spinners set out to perfect their methods and grow the most productive nettle plants possible.
NFC GmbH Nettle Fibre Company President Dr. Heiko Beckhaus claims to have successfully cultivated a new kind of nettle that has 20% fibre.
Studies show that nettles have been utilised for decades in the textile industry. For at least the last three years, stinging nettle fibre has been included into textile production. Cotton, he said, replaced natural fibres after World War II because it was more ecologically harmful but cheaper and simpler to work with.
This product is perfect to “replace synthetic materials,” as seen by the thriving market for nettle yarn.
When compared to other natural fibres, this one is the most stable, according to Dr. Heiko Beckhaus. Nettle has a relatively low fibre content—about 10%—and the decortication process is more involved than that of other household fibre plants, he said.
As part of its Make in India push, the Indian government should use this chance to put its attention and resources towards the sustainable development of the region’s small farmers.
There is rising worry about the environmental damage caused by the manufacture of synthetic fibres and the cultivation of non-organic cotton for fast fashion. However, there is a growing trend towards employing stinging nettle fibres because of the material’s low environmental impact.
Many low-income families in the Himalayan regions may benefit greatly from an improvement in the nettle value chain if it were to be improved at each stage in the chain.
