Enhancing the gamechanger quotient of bamboo

The advantages of bamboo in commercial and domestic applications are already well documented.

Nevertheless, its significance as a tool for achieving environmental and economic sustainability in the wake of growing climate crises needs greater understanding.

This is largely because bamboo is unaffected by flood, hailstorms, drought and fire, is quake-resistant and has unique elasticity. As an extremely fast and flexibly growing grass in different conditions, it provides the farmers with the ability to adapt their farming practices to climate-induced agricultural conditions. Bamboo provides a year-round source of income, and can be converted into an increasingly wide variety of value-added products for sale including bamboo shoots, charcoal, vinegar etc.

With its wide use and properties, it is rightly hailed as potential game-changer especially in developing economies. In India, northeastern region accounts for substantial bamboo cultivation close to 65 percent with bamboo closely embedded in the traditions and food heritage of the states.

However, habitat destruction and extensive use of bamboos for subsistence and commercial purposes have resulted in severe depletion of natural bamboo resources. In international bamboo trade, India still captures only 4 percent share even though it is the second-largest cultivator of Bamboo globally after China. While India needs to catch up in a big way internationally, the domestic bamboo industry has simultaneously struggled to attain fruition.

In recent years, the government of India has taken steps to increase bamboo’s utility. One of these relates to amending the Indian Forest Act of 1927 for declassification of bamboo from trees to grass to enhance livelihoods of farmers to grow, harvest and value add bamboo. Moreover, it was moved to the horticulture department in June 2019.