Kenaf [etymology: Persian],[2] Hibiscus cannabinus, is a plant in the family Malvaceae also called Deccan hemp and Java jute.

It is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant (rarely a short-lived perennial) growing to 1.5–3.5 m tall with a woody base.

Kenaf fibre from bast could be gained as long as 2 meters and it becomes more widespread in polymer composite and concrete industry.

First grown in Egypt over 3000 years ago, the leaves of the kenaf plant were a component of both human and animal diets, while the bast fibre was used for bags, cordage, and the sails for Egyptian boats.

Today, while the principal farming areas are China and India, Kenaf is also grown in countries including the US, Mexico, and Senegal.

The main uses of kenaf fibre have been rope, twine, coarse cloth (similar to that made from jute), and paper.

[11] The use of kenaf is anticipated to offset 300,000 pounds of oil-based resin per year in North America and should reduce the weight of the door bolsters by 25 percent.

In 1970, kenaf newsprint produced in the International Paper Company's mill in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was successfully used by six U.S. newspapers.

They found that kenaf newsprint[13] made for stronger, brighter and cleaner pages than standard pine paper with less detriment to the environment.

Due partly to kenaf fibres being naturally whiter than tree pulp, less bleaching is required to create a brighter sheet of paper.

[citation needed] An area of 1-acre (4,000 m2) of kenaf produces 5 to 8 tons of raw plant bast and core fibre in a single growing season.

It is estimated that growing kenaf on 5,000 acres (20 km2) can produce enough pulp to supply a paper plant having a capacity of 200 tons per day.

[15] David Brower, former Executive Director of the Sierra Club, in chapter 8 of his semi-autobiographical environmental book Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run: A Call to Save the Earth (1995, Harper Collins), titled "Forest Revolution," advocated for kenaf paper use and explained its many advantages over wood pulp.