Bamboos grow more rapidly than trees and start to yield within three or four years of planting. Plantation establishment requires minimal capital investment and builds upon the inherent plant-cultivation skills of local farmers and foresters. Bamboos can be harvested annually and non-destructively. Bamboos are excellent for rejuvenating degraded lands and protecting against soil erosion. Bamboos may easily be intercropped with shallow-rooted crops. As well as the culms, all other parts of the bamboo plant can be used in rural livelihoods - shoots for food, leaves for fodder, and branches for items such as brooms and for firewood.

What is a bamboo charcoal unit? A bamboo charcoal unit produces bamboo charcoal. The technology is simple and easily adoptable by rural stakeholders. Bamboo charcoal has a multitude of uses, mostly purification and detoxification. The financial and skills investment required to establish such a unit is low, but marketing is of paramount importance for a successful business. A suitable marketing infrastructure is highly recommended.

How do I establish a bamboo charcoal unit? 1. Evaluate the market: 2. Establish a marketing infrastructure: 3. Source funding: This will determine If necessary use a partner organization Microcredit and the type of product to provide the skills and finances. bank loans offer you produce. Good marketing is vital. the best options. 4. Attend training: 5. Prepare the site : 6. Install the kilns Producing charcoal is An area of 100 m 2 Simple brick kilns are simple but some skills is sufficient plus cheap and effective. are required. covered storage areas.

Main development attributes of a bamboo charcoal unit Greater use of bamboo reduces dependence on wood-timber resources and hence increases environmental protection and conservation. Promotes rehabilitation of degraded forests and other waste lands through increased areas of bamboo plantations. Increases employment opportunities in bamboo growing for supply of raw materials, in running the unit, and in sales and marketing. Processing is simple and can be done on a very small scale by individuals with minimal investment and training. Creates gender insensitive employment opportunities.

Some salient facts The unit should be market oriented and market driven otherwise success will be unlikely. The enterprise requires suitable support services and infrastructure to be in place in order to operate properly. The main export markets for bamboo charcoal are in the far east, particularly Japan and South Korea. Photo: Mechanical charcoalising kiln

Requirements for success Small amount of start-up capital. Small area of land for kilns. Regular supply of raw bamboos. Training of staff in the techniques involved. Local infrastructures for transporting raw materials and finished products. Effective marketing and product development system. Photo: Bamboo sticks ready for charcoalising

For further information See Publications 2001: Zhang QiSheng (ed). Mechanism and science of bamboo charcoal and bamboo vinegar. Published by China Forestry Press TOTEMs Homestead bamboo plantation Medium and large scale bamboo plantations Community bamboo nursery Websites INBAR: Contact INBAR, Beijing , China Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China (Attention: Professor Zhang QiSheng)