From the Springboard Content Lab
A professor at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) has converted a small cargo van into a “Flaxmobile” and is travelling around the province in a quest to revitalize the flax fibre industry in the province.
Jennifer Green, NSCAD Associate Professor of Craft, is on the road in her Flaxmobile to show farmers how to grow flax and teach crafts people how flax can be used to make sustainable textiles.
Flaxmobile project awarded $3.2 million from NSERC
In August 2024, Prof. Green received a four-year $3.2 million grant from the NSERC-Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative (SARI) to support the project entitled: Flax Fibre to Fabric: An Innovative Transition Design Framework for Sustainable Agriculture Value-Chains.
The grant builds upon a pilot project launched in 2022 to teach local fibre processors how to grow and process flax to produce linen textiles.
Since then, the Flax Fibre to Fabric project has blossomed a collaboration of fourteen researchers from five universities including NSCAD, Acadia University, Dalhousie University, the University of Prince Edward Island, and the University of Waterloo.
The project is also working with eight industry partners to reduce the reliance on unsustainable textiles and promote local rural economic development.
“Partnership grants of this kind build strategically important bridges across Atlantic Canada. They are essential if we want to see larger systems change. University researchers can drive and build momentum towards a greener, more sustainable economy with projects like these. I’m very proud to be working with such an amazing group of researchers, growers, craftspeople, and industry partners to realize our collective ambitions.” Professor Jennifer Green
Building a sustainable textile industry in Nova Scotia
The textile and fashion industries are linked to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas, something which has been overlooked in climate change science.
The reliance on imported textiles and clothing is a relatively new thing in Canada. In the 1920s, a network of textile producers existed in Nova Scotia, but the industry declined after production was outsourced and the crop was no longer grown.
Over the last three years, Green has been developing a network of farmers and craftspeople across Nova Scotia to experiment with flax growing from field to craft studio.
As principal investigator, Green’s goal is to create a more sustainable craft and textile industry by supporting the local fibre suppliers.
The project will also create more jobs in the rural economy, and help farmers find new markets for flax. It will also build resilience in the resource economy.
The project is also building a network of farmers, fibre mills, craftspeople and consumers to connect businesses and people who share common goals and explore how to create sustainable practices in the textile industry.
Maritime climate ideal for flax
The Flaxmobile Project is encouraging a local and sustainable fibre flax industry to provide a consistent supply of high-quality fibres and fibre by-products to support our culture sector.
NSCAD University is proud to help lead industry efforts to phase out imported fossil-based fibres by promoting recycled and biodegradable alternatives that can be produced locally. Jennifer Green’s Flaxmobile project is an inspiring example of how makers in the cultural sector can work with growers in the agricultural sector to build a sustainable ecosystem within the Nova Scotian economy. - Peggy Shannon, President, NSCAD University
The project has five objectives:
Reduce barriers for Nova Scotians who wish to access locally produced and sustainable textiles and clothing, as well as natural building materials, such as flaxcrete and biochar
Generate local, green jobs across the agriculture, craft, and building sectors that are in line with principles of the circular economy
Contribute to a broader long-term shift toward buying local and removing virgin polyester and synthetic fibres from entering Nova Scotia and ending up in our waste stream
Generate sharable knowledge to support climate change adaptation in other Nova Scotian communities
Address Nova Scotia’s target for GHG emissions reduction by sequestering 68 tonnes of carbon by 2030 and 3,669 tonnes by 2050
Springboard assists collaboration between NSCAD, industry and community
The project has demonstrated how research expertise and students in Craft can work with community partners to improve the agriculture economy and craft industry.
The Springboard Industry Liaison Office at NSCAD helped Green share ideas about the Flaxmobile project. They also connected her with funding partners and supported applications.
Green received $230,000 from Research Nova Scotia and a $112,000 grant from the Nova Scotia’s Sustainable Community Challenges Fund.
Read more on NSCAD Flaxmobile:
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