The Development of Bamboo in Ethiopia: Green Gold and its Challenges

Ethiopia is a country known for its rich nature and cultural diversity. In this country, bamboo plays a central role in efforts towards sustainable development and economic progress. There are over 1 million hectares of bamboo forest in Ethiopia, more precisely, the population of bamboo in Ethiopia is estimated to cover an area of ​​14,744.63 km2 (1.47 million hectares). This means that Ethiopia has the largest bamboo population in Africa. This has meant that the country has long been and continues to be at the center of various initiatives that pursue both ecological and economic goals. 

Sustainable management and reforestation

In the Benishangul-Gumuz region, which has the highest proportion of bamboo forests in the country, guidelines for the sustainable management of bamboo forests have been developed through collaboration with the UN-REDD program. These measures are urgently needed as bamboo forests are increasingly being cleared through unsustainable agricultural practices such as slash-and-burn agriculture and land conversion for agricultural investment.​ (FAOHome).​. A positive sign is that in September 2014, the Ethiopian government committed in the United Nations New York Forest Declaration to reforest 7 million hectares of land and restore 15 million hectares of forest to achieve the goals of the Bonn Challenge.

Quelle: Ahmed, S., 2021. The potential of bamboo for climate change mitigation in Ethiopia.Technical paper. Int. Bamboo Ratt. Organ. 38

Economic impulses through bamboo

The economic prospects of bamboo are promising. Bamboo is being prioritized as an investment option to drive economic development while achieving climate change goals. It is estimated that the bamboo sector in Ethiopia could cover plantations of up to 3 million hectares, generate $5 billion in revenue and create 1.3 million jobs​ (UNREDD Program)​. A current project drawing attention is the construction of the $60 million Africa Bamboo Center in Addis Ababa, funded by the Chinese government. This center will serve as a training and development site and support the growth ambitions of the bamboo sector​ (The Reporter Ethiopia)​. This shows once again that China is not only willing to support projects on the continent of Africa, but is actually doing so. This differs greatly from Western ambitions, which, despite their historical responsibility, do not take any measures to support the people in the individual countries.

Challenges of the sector

The bamboo sector in Ethiopia undoubtedly faces a number of challenges that affect its development. One of the biggest problems is the quality of the harvested bamboo. The quality of the products is inconsistent due to a lack of knowledge about the timing of the harvest. There are certain times when bamboo should not be harvested. Because of this lack of knowledge, many farmers harvest bamboo even when it is not yet suitable for harvesting. The government focuses on value

In addition, skills management and training in the development of the bamboo sector, but little attention is paid to cultivation and propagation. In addition, bamboo requires appropriate treatment and drying time after harvesting to ensure better prevention against disease or insect infestation. The lack of sufficient storage facilities and space further exacerbates the situation.

Sustainable and climate-resilient production

International funding supports sustainable projects that promote climate resilience and sustainable management of bamboo plantations. One example is the commitment of the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD), which strengthens the bamboo sector through significant investments in the production and processing of bamboo, creating thousands of jobs in the process.

Bamboo from Ethiopia is a promising alternative, but it still needs a few years. The future depends particularly on whether the government manages to pass on the knowledge to farmers. 

Sources: 

- Alemayehu, Asabeneh, and Alemayehu Hido. "Determinates and governance of bamboo production and marketing in Ethiopia: A critical review." Advances in Bamboo Science (2023): 100047.

- Addis Ababa earmarks plot for $60mln Africa Bamboo Center: Addis Ababa earmarks plot for $60mln Africa Bamboo Center

- Bamboo Resources in Ethiopia: Their value chain and contribution to livelihoods: https://www.un-redd.org/news/bamboo-ethiopia-can-it-help-stimulate-its-economy-while-same-time- help-achieve-redd

- REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. https://www.fao.org/redd/news/detail/en/c/1197076/