Bamboo Farming And Economic Opportunity Taking Root In The Philippines!
While there is a growing demand for bamboo products, the supply of raw material is surprisingly limited. Surprising because bamboo is such a sturdy and sustainable crop to grow – it requires minimal water and unlike other plants, it can be harvested by cutting it above ground and will be ready for harvest again within [...]
Bamboo Farming And Economic Opportunity Taking Root In The Philippines! is a post from: Green Earth News
While there is a growing demand for bamboo products, the supply of raw material is surprisingly limited. Surprising because bamboo is such a sturdy and sustainable crop to grow – it requires minimal water and unlike other plants, it can be harvested by cutting it above ground and will be ready for harvest again within 3 -4 years.
And while some countries are slow to develop this potential cash crop, the Philippines are launching ahead with a three part plan. Recently the Department of Trade & Industry in the Laguna Provincial Office of Trade and Industry (DTI) brought together local government officials, representatives of national government agencies and industry experts. Their goal, according to Marilou Quinco-Toledo, DTI Calabarzon Regional Director, was to encourage participants to actively share in the responsibility in the development of the bamboo industry with a larger goal of providing a source of employment to many sectors.
This is not, however, just a locally-based movement. The Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) is an organization created under Executive Order No. 879 to promote the bamboo industry development project and direct the use of bamboo into manufacturing 25% of desk and other furniture requirements of public schools. The order also extends into government buildings where use of bamboo materials is heavily promoted.
Targeting the province of Laguna, the plan targets three areas – propagation, business development and the role of bamboo is risk management.
In terms of propagation, the need for planting is apparent. Currently there are only 40,000 hectares planted but an estimated 200,000 is needed to meet local demand. There is talk of accessing some public land to do so. Long term, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has made a commitment of planting 20 million hectares of bamboo forest by 2020.
Aside from use of a raw material, a huge industry exists in the production of planting materials, nurseries and growing plantations for bamboo farming.
On to the next step, business development involves setting up various production hubs for processing the bamboo into workable slats and also the establishing of manufacturing hubs for making the products themselves.
Another component of the business development plan is advocacy.
“Farmers and entrepreneurs must be shown and encouraged that bamboo and other bamboo-based products are selling and making money, thus they would be motivated to produce bamboo. Today’s cost of bamboo is very high; it’s a seller’s market”, said Myrna Bituin of Betis Crafts, as she emphasized the bamboo supply and replenishment concept.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this 3-part plan is the focus on bamboo use in disaster risk management and mitigation. Calabarzon, the designated center of this project, will benefit from the combative effect that bamboo provides against soil erosion. Located near Laguna Lake, Calabarzon suffers from heavy sedimentation due to erosion and there is a need to reforest the watershed around the Laguna Lake area. What better material to use than bamboo?
Another area in need of the power of bamboo is the municipality of Rizal. Mayor Aurelio of Rizal learned the hard way after typhoon Ondoy how vulnerable his area was to lowland flooding due to lack of tree cover in the highlands. To really make their point, they are offering rice to residents for every bamboo planted.
And yet another coalition in the Philippines is also getting in on the action. The Philippine Bamboo Industry Foundation (PBIF) is advocating for the advancement of the bamboo industry hoping to mimic the success China found with their bamboo industry.
“The Chinese bamboo industry is far way advanced such that they have already found success in using bamboo into garments, towels, soap and cosmetics”, said Romualdo Sta. Ana, president of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Foundation (PBIF).
Soft Bamboo Sheets
And there is plenty of use for bamboo in bamboo furniture, bamboo charcoal, bamboo clothes, and bamboo bed linens (among many other things). The question now is, why aren’t more countries working towards making bamboo farming and all of its economic opportunities a priority?
Bamboo Farming And Economic Opportunity Taking Root In The Philippines! is a post from: Green Earth News
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