Why Bamboo

» Bamboo is Versatile

Bamboo is a wonderful resource. It is an ancient material that has numerous applications and uses which are pertinent in both urban and rural lifestyle. Bamboo offers vital economic and ecological benefits to the lives of millions of people worldwide; providing food, fuel, housing, furniture, artisan products, and soil and water conservation. Bamboo can be aesthetically styled in many ways, including as a traditional craft material and also as a modern contemporary material. Bamboo can be flattened in to board, molded into 3 D forms, spun into fabric, pressed into veneers, slivered and interlaced into mats, and much more. With a tensile strength superior to steel, and offering economic and ecological benefits including soil and water conservation, livelihood options, a source of food, and various applications for product development, bamboo is one of the most versatile and durable natural resources in the world.

» Bamboo is Easily Processed by Rural Communities

Bamboo offers a alternative towards socially equitable products, systems and lifestyle options. It has the potential to create livelihood opportunities for both the rural and urban poor. The development of bamboo based enterprises requires low capital, raw materials and tools and machinery investments as compared to other micro, small and medium enterprises. For this reason bamboo products can be produced in rural environments, thereby reducing the impacts of industrialization and urbanization.

» Bamboo is Sustainable

Bamboo is eco friendly, highly renewable and does not cause deforestation. The substitution of wood by bamboo reduces pressure on forests. It is the fastest growing canopy for the re-greening of degraded lands and releases 35% more oxygen than equivalent timber stands. Bamboo needs no replanting, grows without fertilizers or pesticides and can be harvested from controlled stands with an astounding growth cycle of three to five years. Bamboo plays an important role in the reduction of timber consumption, environmental and forest protection, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development of rural economies.