MORRIS, Man. – If asked what linoleum is, most North Americans will
erroneously point at vinyl flooring.
That’s a problem, because consumers are unlikely to order a product if
they don’t know what it is.
It’s also a great opportunity, says Don Kerr of James Richardson
International, because the demand for linoleum in North America could
be huge.
He told the Manitoba Flax Growers Association annual meeting that
markets on this continent for linoleum, flax food for people and flax
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animal feed could be greatly expanded.
“We’re just scratching the surface, really, on all those uses.”
Most Canadian flax is exported to Europe, where a well-developed
industry uses the seed to produce linseed oil for making linoleum
flooring, the meal to make a premium feed for dairy cattle, and the oil
for specialized industrial uses. It’s a long-used product liked by
consumers.
But most flax use in North America died after the Second World War.
Linoleum flooring was replaced by vinyl flooring, which benefited from
advances in plastics manufacturing. The last linoleum factory in North
America closed in the 1960s.
Flax is seldom used in animal rations and for humans it is only found
in small quantities in health food stores and in the health food
sections of grocery stores.
But Kerr said the demand for flax as human food is growing rapidly in
North America, and he thinks there’s also great potential for linoleum.
Europeans use linoleum flooring not only in houses, but also in
hospitals and schools. Linoleum provides an unfriendly home for germs
and bacteria because the gradual breakdown of the linseed oil releases
anti-oxidants that fight them.
As well, linoleum breaks down over time when removed and thrown in a
landfill. Vinyl flooring doesn’t.
Kerr said increasing health and environmental consciousness should make
people want to install more linoleum and less vinyl flooring. That
would be good for flax demand.
Barry Hall, executive director of the Flax Council of Canada, said
linoleum use in schools and hospitals is increasing and probably won’t
stop.
“The potential is there for dramatic expansion.”
The world’s major linoleum producer, Forbo, is thinking of building a
manufacturing plant in North America once demand is high enough, Hall
said.
Canadian flax growers now rely almost entirely on the European market,
which isn’t good, Hall said.
But Europe shows the flax industry what could be possible on this side
of the Atlantic, which is something to shoot for.
“They’re way ahead of us, but it’s coming here.”
Kerr said farmers would benefit from more flax customers. Right now,
the market slumps when Europeans aren’t buying. Demand would become
more predictable if North Americans started buying and using flax.
A wider base for demand would be good for acres.
“We would be able to sustain our production much better,” Kerr said.
“We really have to do something to increase the demand at home.”
