Developing small-scale bamboo enterprises for livelihoods and environmental restoration in Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State, Ethiopia

M Boissière,S Benmakhlouf,F Assefa,H Kassa,S Atmadja,M Beyessa,T Hunde

doi:10.1505/146554820830405618

Abstract

We document the perceptions, practices and policy options in managing lowland bamboo [Oxytenanthera abyssinica] in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State (BGRS) in Ethiopia, particularly to enable small-scale enterprises (SSE) to become more active in this field. This region hosts the largest extent of natural bamboo forests in Ethiopia. There is a recent push to realize bamboo's economic and environmental potential in Ethiopia, which puts SSEs as crucial actors. There is little or scattered published information on local perceptions and practices surrounding natural bamboo forest management and options for realizing bamboo's potential from a subnational/local perspective in Africa, including in Ethiopia. In 2018, we conducted a literature review, spatial analysis, participatory mapping, and interviewed experts working in governmental and non-governmental organizations and local stakeholders in BGRS. We find some consensus of the environmental importance of bamboo. In contrast, there is some debate at the subnational level about the economic importance of bamboo, leading to decisions favouring other land uses. Bamboo forests in this region suffer neglect, as they are perceived to be 'owned by no one and used by everyone' and will continue to be there without management. Lack of market-driven opportunities, bamboo-specific training among foresters, data on economic contributions of bamboo, and regulations or guidelines to support existing laws have prevented effective management of the bamboo resource. There are multiple bamboo management approaches that open economic opportunities for SSEs in the region. There needs to be more clarity on how to secure land use rights over bamboo forests, accessible financing, market linkages, business training, and low-tech/low-cost technologies to encourage the development of bamboo SSEs.

Highlights

African countries face unique challenges in sustainably managing bamboo resources and developing bamboo value chains
We identify the support needed by small-scale enterprises, including training in business and bamboo-specific technical skills, access to financing adapted to their capacity and needs, improved infrastructure and market linkages, and land use planning that accounts for the economic and environmental values of bamboo resources
There is little or scattered published information on local perceptions and practices surrounding natural bamboo forest management in Africa, and options for realizing bamboo’s potential from a subnational/local perspective. This knowledge is essential for identifying effective and locally relevant approaches to realize bamboo’s potential as a valuable natural resource. Our study addresses this gap by analyzing existing literature and empirical evidence of the challenges of developing bamboo resources at the subnational level in Africa, using a case study of lowland bamboo [Oxytenanthera abyssinica] in Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State (BGRS), Ethiopia

Summary

Introduction

African countries face unique challenges in sustainably managing bamboo resources and developing bamboo value chains. International forest policy focuses on treed lands, marginalising bamboo forestry development and making it difficult to integrate bamboo within existing forestry institutions and practices (Buckingham et al 2014, Buckingham et al 2011). Many African countries find it difficult to develop their bamboo resources, due to the following challenges: (1) Unclear governance: Bamboo is not a core business of either agricultural or forestry departments, and is caught between the two sectors; (2) Where bamboo is clearly in the forestry sector, foresters are not trained to manage it. Western silvicultural science powerfully influences the training of young foresters in African countries through a history of international development cooperation. Forests are equated with trees, but silvicultural management logic and statistics are fundamentally incompatible with bamboo life cycles and ecology, leading to poor bamboo management (Buckingham et al 2011)

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