Green Tool for Green Growth

　　Bamboo is a versatile plant that provides many climate-smart solutions for rural communities across Africa. Dr. Hans Friederich， Director General of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)， believes that Africa’s economy can benefit from China’s know-how in developing the bamboo industry.

　　After the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change， as African policymakers initiate their national climate action plans， they can learn from China’s bamboo development expertise to unlock the potential of this strategic resource.

　　Africa is already exposed to some of the worst effects of climate change， such as drought， crop pests and diseases， and unpredictable rainfall patterns. African countries need to find solutions to deal with this new reality which threatens to bring environmental catastrophe and endemic poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

　　China’s partnership with many African countries means that it can play an important role in how the continent responds to its climate dilemma. In fact， China holds a key to mobilizing a valuable yet largely untapped resource that has the potential to drive green economic development in many countries for decades to come. That resource is bamboo.

　　Bamboo brings to many African countries a significant untapped potential for generating rural income， restoring degraded landscapes， and combating climate change.

　　Africa has significant reserves of indigenous bamboo， and excellent conditions for growing cultivated species. With careful management， informed by China’s wealth of expertise over the past 30 years， the continent’s bamboo resources can bring practical and rapid solutions to many challenges.

　　China’s innovation has seen its domestic bamboo sector grow from a subsistence activity in the 1980s to a vast industry. It offers a model for Africa’s bamboo development and provides the technology and know-how needed to strengthen this sector.

　　Building on this expertise， Africa’s leaders and economic planners can harness bamboo’s potential for profit and environmental security in three areas - jobs and local industrial development， environmental security and land restoration and sustainable energy.

　　The recent rise of industrial bamboo products has created new value chains that rural communities can supply， an opportunity to tap into a global sector now worth some $60 billion.

　　Given that bamboo grows rapidly and can be ready for harvesting in only three to six years， it provides a clean， renewable source of bio-fuel and can sequester carbon at rates greater than， or equivalent to， many tree species.

　　It is also a powerful ally for land restoration as it thrives on problem soils and steep slopes， and will help slow the rising rates of deforestation that scar many parts of Africa.

　　INBAR is a multilateral development organization hosted by China in Beijing. We serve the needs of 41 members worldwide to help them develop bamboo and rattan. In cooperation with Chinese agencies and experts we strengthen the capacity of our development partners across Africa in the areas of industrial development， international standards， policy frameworks and management techniques. The result： new climate-smart industries that support sustainable livelihoods， reduce poverty， and protect our natural environment.

　　These partnerships are excellent examples of South-South cooperation， a term that defines INBAR’s core work， facilitating the mutual exchange of ideas， innovations and technologies among our partners.

　　South-South cooperation can be seen in action in Ghana， where Chinese experience is helping to strengthen the skills of government agencies and rural communities to produce bamboo charcoal. In Ethiopia， ongoing efforts to rehabilitate degraded land and protect landscapes using bamboo are also benefiting from the support of Chinese experts.

　　And today， as bamboo grows in popularity among global consumers， we see the equation evolving to a South-South-North dynamic. We are now partnering with China and the Netherlands to further support bamboo sector development in Ethiopia， Kenya and Uganda.

　　This triangular South-South-North cooperation brings to Africa’s business professionals and government agencies China’s vast experience in developing bamboo resources for livelihoods development， coupled with the Netherlands bamboo sector expertise in areas such as production， marketing and standards， the keys to access high-value consumer markets.

　　As the world shifts to a new paradigm of green economic development， these examples demonstrate the significant potential that bamboo production offers Africa - an opportunity for the continent to chart a more sustainable path that offers win-win scenarios for both its people and the environment. When policymakers initiate their climate change plans， they would do well to consider the role this plant could play in Africa’s green future.

　　Dr. Hans Friederich， Director General of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)

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