Published on : 18/05/2022 – 00:47
The first African Bamboo and Rattan Congress was held at the end of April in Yaoundé, Cameroon. A raw material increasingly used in everyday objects, replacing plastic, in Europe, in the United States. Asia is the leading producer of bamboo. But the interest also affects Africa where the sector brings hope for some entrepreneurs.
« Interest in bamboo in Cameroon has really taken off. Bamboo is positioning itself as a resource that is increasing in value and can create jobs for Cameroonians. »
Justin Kamga is the coordinator of Foder, Forests and Rural Development, a Cameroonian environmental association. It ensures that the dynamic is launched. In 2016, the Ministry of Water and Forests then banned the use of wooden poles, especially for construction scaffolding. We must find alternatives, bamboo is one of them. Since then, the Foder has defended the development of this sector.
« At our level, we have worked with more than 2,000 people, including more than 800 women, on the use of bamboo. They are craftsmen, nurserymen, farmers, preciseFoder’s coordinator. It is practically an entire chain of the sector that we are developing, add Justin Kamga. This will allow Cameroonians to position themselves and find their account. »
The bamboo interprofession of Cameroon estimates that this plant and its derivatives could bring in 600 billion CFA francs to the country: ” So you understand that this is a sector with a future. “. The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (Inbar) estimates that in 2021 more than 7 million hectares of bamboo were grown on the continent.
Several African countries have embarked on the development of the sector. Among the best known, Ghana with its now famous bamboo bicycles. But also Madagascar. ” The potential uses are: one, wood energy, bamboo-based charcoal; two, bamboo for water filtration and finally third point for scaffolding notes Tahiana Ramananantoandro, teacher-researcher in wood science at the Higher School of Agronomic Sciences of Antananarivo.
Bamboo is already widely used in local crafts. But the researcher believes that it is possible to go further: “ At the physical and mechanical property level, bamboo has really very good properties close to eucalyptus and rosewood that we have characterized. The important thing is to know how to value it, to have skills for the transformation of tools. »
If some organizations like Foder are interested in bamboo, it is because it also has interesting ecological aspects: in terms of carbon sequestration, water filtration or soil stabilization capacity.