SUCCESS STORY: A Bamboo Development Strategy for Thanh Hoa

Thanh Hoa province has the largest area of luong bamboo in Vietnam, with over 80,000 hectares of natural bamboo forest and 71,000 hectares of planted bamboo. The global market for bamboo is expanding rapidly. Bamboo is increasingly being used for furniture, building materials and other consumer goods as an esthetic and sustainable alternative to wood. Its relatively fast growth rate, high carbon sequestration potential and strong resilience to extreme weather events make bamboo an ideal crop for smallholders and conscious businesses alike. If managed carefully, growth of the bamboo industry could have significant positive impacts for the economy, people and environment of Thanh Hoa.