This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Hemp has long been pitched to Kentucky farmers as a way to diversify their income. Research now suggests it could diversify the landscape itself, with measurable benefits for the state's water and wildlife.
Tyler Mark, Ph.D., an agricultural economist in the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), co-authored the paper published in Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy alongside researchers at Mississippi State University and Central State University. The study examined what happens to Kentucky's environment when hemp constitutes a larger share of the state's farmland. The team found that more hemp means more crop diversity, which is linked to cleaner water and a wider variety of birds.
Kentucky is one of the nation's leading hemp-producing states. According to the USDA 2026 National Hemp Report, Kentucky farmers planted 4,800 acres (1,940 hectares) of industrial hemp in 2025. Now, much of the conversation around the crop has centered on markets and prices, particularly as growers in a state with deep tobacco roots look for new options.
The researchers wanted to look at a less-discussed side of the equation. "Profitability, while important, is only part of the story," Mark said. "Hemp can also impact the environment.
If hemp acres are going to expand, then we also need to understand and quantify these impacts." Landscapes planted with diverse crops tend to offer more varied habitat for wildlife and can reduce the nutrient runoff that degrades streams and lakes. When a new crop like hemp enters rotations alongside corn, soybeans, hay and tobacco, it adds to that mix. To measure the effect, the researchers took a two-pronged approach using county-level data from across the commonwealth.
First, they ran a series of simulations in which hemp planting increased from 1% to 10% of Kentucky's total agricultural land. In every scenario, crop diversity rose steadily as hemp acreage expanded. Next, the researchers used statistical models that follow counties over time to estimate how changes in crop diversity relate to environmental conditions.
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