In August 2026, Kimberly-Clark announced a major commitment to Hesperaloe, a low-water, rapidly renewable crop with the potential to become an alternative source of natural fiber for its hygiene products. The announcement followed more than two decades of research into alternative fibers and reflects a broader effort to reduce reliance on natural forest fiber, while creating a more resilient long-term supply. Hesperaloe is particularly promising because it combines strong fiber performance with the ability to grow in arid regions using significantly less water than many traditional crops.
While Kimberly-Clark’s announcement is recent, Intl. Farming has served as a preferred capital and grower partner on the initiative since 2024. On one of our Arizona farms, we have grown roughly 3,300 acres of Hesperaloe over two seasons, helping demonstrate what it takes to bring a new crop to commercial scale.
The farm sits above an aquifer nearly a thousand feet deep and grew alfalfa for decades, a crop that draws close to six acre-feet of water per acre each year. Hesperaloe uses a fraction of that, delivered through subsurface lines for about twelve hours a month, saving an estimated 15,000 acre-feet of water each year. It also reduces pesticide use by 90% to 95% and requires less fertilizer. At current aquifer withdrawal rates, Hesperaloe is projected to sustain aquifer life up to 6-times longer than alfalfa while earning comparable rental income to the row crops it replaced.
Learn more about how we continue to deepen our relationships with CPGs, impact-focused investors, and foundations in our Stewardship in Action: 2025 report. Enter your email below to download.