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Africa’s ability to achieve sustainable economic growth will depend on a functioning green economy capable of serving the needs of its growing population. As they work to create stronger economies that will bring jobs and prosperity， Africa’s leaders are also facing a new climate reality： rising temperatures， drought and increasingly unpredictable rainfall.
Water scarcity， land degradation and the emergence of new pests and diseases are compelling them to act. African decision makers were active in the recent UN Conference of Parties （COP21） climate change negotiations in Paris， for instance—contributing ideas， exploring solutions and pushing for a settlement to reduce emissions.
Sustainability was also at the core of discussions at the Forum on Cooperation between Africa and China （FOCAC） in Johannesburg. At the meeting， Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the next phase of China’s strategic partnership with Africa， pledging $60 billion in sustainable development investment over the coming three years. This will add to the $3.1 billion that China has already committed toward SouthSouth cooperation on climate change.
As part of this growing economic partnership， China can help the continent mobilize a new green resource， which although widely available， has not yet reached its full potential. That resource is bamboo.
China is the world’s leading producer and processor of bamboo. From a subsistence crop three decades ago， the country’s bamboo industry now generates around $30 billion yearly， and sustains more than 7 million jobs.
Africa can build on Chinese expertise to develop its own abundant supplies of indigenous bamboo. Ethiopia， for example， has an estimated 500，000 hectares of indigenous bamboo. Other African countries have similar resources.
Much of the bamboo development knowledge is shared by the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan （INBAR）， the inter-governmental organization dedicated to improving the social， economic and environmental benefits of bamboo and rattan.
Hosted by China and headquartered in Beijing， INBAR harnesses international expertise to develop bamboo sectors across Africa—18 of our 41 member states are African. Many are benefiting from the experience of Chinese agencies， such as the International Center for Bamboo and Rattan， the State Forestry Administration and the China Green Carbon Foundation.
Over the past two decades， this cooperation has brought African experts and policy makers a wealth of practical knowledge on bamboo sector development， policy advice， and capacity strengthening in the areas of bamboo forest management and processing. That includes product development and design， and the creation of value chains to help develop local bamboo regions. The progress and growth of China’s bamboo sector demonstrates how African countries can craft action plans for sustainable development using bamboo. Bamboo cultivation supports climate change mitigation and adaptation， land restoration and the creation of rural enterprises or larger businesses that could bring jobs and attract investment.
For climate change mitigation， bamboo helps sequester carbon in many ways. It offers an alternative and highly renewable source of biomass energy， a substitute for wood fuel and charcoal， and for fossil fuels in power generation.
Those familiar with bamboo recognize its versatility. There are some 10，000 recorded uses for bamboo products. These include household items， construction materials， cutting-edge designs specified by the world’s leading architects， fiber for textiles or cellulose and replacements for products made from steel and PVC.
Its production also drives local business and economic growth， and bamboo value chains link rural and forest communities to national and international markets. This economic importance is likely to increase as other forest resources come under increasing pressure， and as the imperative to mitigate climate change fosters less dependence on fossil fuels.
Bamboo also helps rural communities become less vulnerable to climate change once they include it in their sustainable forestry and agroforestry systems. Its rapid growth makes frequent harvesting possible， which limits exposure to disaster， and allows farmers to flexibly adapt their management and harvesting practices to new growing conditions as they emerge under changes to the climate.
As we emerge from the COP21 meeting and countries develop their climate change action plans， we have a unique opportunity to ensure knowledge transfer in this field. These plans， which specify where countries will focus their mitigation/adaptation efforts， will help identify the areas where bamboo can add significant value—whether it’s increasing forest cover， reducing land degradation， or supporting climate-smart agriculture.
Commitments expressed at FOCAC further demonstrate the emergence of a strategic China-Africa partnership that African countries can tap into to realize this potential. If sustainability is to be a defining characteristic of China-Africa relations， bamboo needs to play a more prominent role.
Water scarcity， land degradation and the emergence of new pests and diseases are compelling them to act. African decision makers were active in the recent UN Conference of Parties （COP21） climate change negotiations in Paris， for instance—contributing ideas， exploring solutions and pushing for a settlement to reduce emissions.
Sustainability was also at the core of discussions at the Forum on Cooperation between Africa and China （FOCAC） in Johannesburg. At the meeting， Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the next phase of China’s strategic partnership with Africa， pledging $60 billion in sustainable development investment over the coming three years. This will add to the $3.1 billion that China has already committed toward SouthSouth cooperation on climate change.
As part of this growing economic partnership， China can help the continent mobilize a new green resource， which although widely available， has not yet reached its full potential. That resource is bamboo.
China is the world’s leading producer and processor of bamboo. From a subsistence crop three decades ago， the country’s bamboo industry now generates around $30 billion yearly， and sustains more than 7 million jobs.
Africa can build on Chinese expertise to develop its own abundant supplies of indigenous bamboo. Ethiopia， for example， has an estimated 500，000 hectares of indigenous bamboo. Other African countries have similar resources.
Much of the bamboo development knowledge is shared by the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan （INBAR）， the inter-governmental organization dedicated to improving the social， economic and environmental benefits of bamboo and rattan.
Hosted by China and headquartered in Beijing， INBAR harnesses international expertise to develop bamboo sectors across Africa—18 of our 41 member states are African. Many are benefiting from the experience of Chinese agencies， such as the International Center for Bamboo and Rattan， the State Forestry Administration and the China Green Carbon Foundation.
Over the past two decades， this cooperation has brought African experts and policy makers a wealth of practical knowledge on bamboo sector development， policy advice， and capacity strengthening in the areas of bamboo forest management and processing. That includes product development and design， and the creation of value chains to help develop local bamboo regions. The progress and growth of China’s bamboo sector demonstrates how African countries can craft action plans for sustainable development using bamboo. Bamboo cultivation supports climate change mitigation and adaptation， land restoration and the creation of rural enterprises or larger businesses that could bring jobs and attract investment.
For climate change mitigation， bamboo helps sequester carbon in many ways. It offers an alternative and highly renewable source of biomass energy， a substitute for wood fuel and charcoal， and for fossil fuels in power generation.
Those familiar with bamboo recognize its versatility. There are some 10，000 recorded uses for bamboo products. These include household items， construction materials， cutting-edge designs specified by the world’s leading architects， fiber for textiles or cellulose and replacements for products made from steel and PVC.
Its production also drives local business and economic growth， and bamboo value chains link rural and forest communities to national and international markets. This economic importance is likely to increase as other forest resources come under increasing pressure， and as the imperative to mitigate climate change fosters less dependence on fossil fuels.
Bamboo also helps rural communities become less vulnerable to climate change once they include it in their sustainable forestry and agroforestry systems. Its rapid growth makes frequent harvesting possible， which limits exposure to disaster， and allows farmers to flexibly adapt their management and harvesting practices to new growing conditions as they emerge under changes to the climate.
As we emerge from the COP21 meeting and countries develop their climate change action plans， we have a unique opportunity to ensure knowledge transfer in this field. These plans， which specify where countries will focus their mitigation/adaptation efforts， will help identify the areas where bamboo can add significant value—whether it’s increasing forest cover， reducing land degradation， or supporting climate-smart agriculture.
Commitments expressed at FOCAC further demonstrate the emergence of a strategic China-Africa partnership that African countries can tap into to realize this potential. If sustainability is to be a defining characteristic of China-Africa relations， bamboo needs to play a more prominent role.