Introduction to Bamboo

Bamboo is the common name of a large group of fast-growing woody evergreen perennial grass, taxonomically classfied as Bambusoideae. Bamboos belong to the same family of grasses as important food crops such as rice, wheat, and sugarcane. There are over 1400 known species of the plant growing in different geographical regions around the world and are known to be very versatile. The bamboo plant has numerous traditional and modern uses and is therefore considered to be a miracle plant by many societies in the world.

Bamboo plantations can be managed by individual producers without requiring large investments and can be sustainably cultivated to provide vital household income to families in the developing world. Bamboo enterprise is considered to be relevant to many of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of poverty reduction, climante change adaptation and mitigation, housing and urban development, and the restoration of degraded land among others. 

There are numerous known uses of bamboo, including: the provision of fibre for paper making and textiles; it has uses in housing and construction,fishing, basket making, handicrafts, charcoal and other energy projects, edible bamboo shoots among others.

In the past decade, Uganda has seen a lot of sensitization about bamboo and its role in enhancing household incomes and environmental health of the country. It because of this perceived potential of bamboo that organizations such as uganda Bamboo Association have joined hands with national, multinational, government, and non-goverment agencies and orgainzations to promote its development in Uganda.

The government of the Repulic of Uganda recently passed the Bamboo policy and have plans of planting 375,000 hectares of bamboo in the next 10 years beginning with the financial year 2019/20.