Ep. 32: American Hemp with Mark D’Sa from Panda Biotech

This week, Andrew digs into the future of fiber with Mark D’Sa, Senior VP at Panda Biotech. After decades sourcing for brands like Ralph Lauren, Gap, and Levi’s, Mark is now betting on U.S.-grown industrial hemp.He explains why hemp matters for American farmers facing water shortages and soil stress, how Panda’s cottonization process makes hemp soft and fully compatible with cotton, and why the sweet spot for denim blends is around 20–30 percent hemp. Mark also shares how Wrangler, Lee, and Patagonia are already on board, and why traceability and farmer partnerships are at the core of this effort.From soil regeneration to hempcrete houses and even auto parts, this episode shows just how versatile hemp can be—and why it could play a major role in denim’s next chapter.For more information, you can reach Mark D’Sa at [email protected] follow us on: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.