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Table of Contents
Bamboo and wood carbon .......................................................................................... 2
Environmental benefits ................................................................................................ 3
Malawi Current Analysis and Assumptions .............................................................. 4
Why Plant Bamboo ...................................................................................................... 5
Bamboo Species and Cultivation ............................................................................... 6
Motivations for Planting Bamboo in Rural Homesteads ........................................ 9
Motivations for Planting Commercial Bamboo Plantations.................................. 11
Interesting Bamboo Facts ......................................................................................... 14
About Us ...................................................................................................................... 15
Page |1-Afribam
Bamboo is the worlds fastest and strongest growing woody plant, with giant species
exceeding growth rates of 1m a day. Unlike trees, all bamboo species grow to their
full height and girth in a single growing season of three to four months. Bamboo
culms (stems) typically take 3 years to mature and begin to decay after 5 years.
This means that when plants come into full production (4 to 5 years), 30% of the
standing culms can be continually harvested each year for the full duration of the
plants life, 40 to 120 years depending on species. This is a significant improvement
over timber harvesting cycles of 8-15 years. Growing faster than eucalyptus, the
plant is increasingly used as a replacement for both hard and soft woods. In India
commercial bamboo provides 60% of the country's paper requirement. The poles, or
culms, are so strong that they are used to make bicycle frames, in South Asia they
are used to reinforce concrete and as scaffolding on skyscrapers. Products range
from furniture, woven screens, surfboards, laminated flooring, wool fibre, composite
boards and roof sheeting. Each year, two million tones of edible, vitamin-rich
bamboo shoots are consumed. Global trade is estimated to exceed 2 billion USD per
annum.
Bamboo is one of the best sources for making charcoal; it burns very well and has
an exceptionally high calorific content, yielding more than 7000 kilocalories per
kilogram.
Bamboo has several advantages over tree species in terms of sustainability and
carbon fixing capacity. Available studies conclude that bamboo biomass and carbon
production is higher compared to the fast growing wood species and producing 35%
more oxygen than wood. Tropical species measure an annual biomass of
Page |2-Afribam
47.8t/ha/pa almost twice that of the Eucalyptus clones. The total biomass of mature
bamboo at 6 years is higher than that of teak at 40 years: 149 t C/ha versus only 126
t C/ha for teak. Besides higher biomass, bamboo has other advantages over wood
as a carbon stock. Unlike woody crops bamboo offers the possibility of annual
selective harvesting; with the removal of only 30% of the total stock no clear cut
felling is necessary. This has significant environmental advantages and improves
stock productivity. Furthermore over 90% of bamboo carbon can be sequestered in
durable products such as boards, panels, floors, furniture, buildings, cloth, paper and
activated charcoal. These products have a very long life span and may retain carbon
for several decades.
Environmental benefits
Bamboo rhizomes and dense root systems that anchor topsoil along steep slopes
and riverbanks, very effectively controlling erosion, their rapid growth enables
bamboo to absorb surplus nitrogen, phosphorous and heavy metals found in sewage
and polluted water, locking them in the plant alleviating downstream pollution.
Bamboo is already being used to filter wastewater from the United Nations complex
in Nairobi Kenya, Municipal authorities in the capitals of Kenya, Uganda and
Ethiopia, are joining discussions on how to incorporate bamboo into their urban
planning; environmentally to clean up the wastewater in informal settlements and to
provide sustainable fuel to their residents.
Studies have also shown that natural bamboo forests have excellent hydrological
functions that promote soil health. Their lofty thick canopy of fine leaves serve as
gills which harvest and conserve moisture, together with the abundance of leaves,
sheaths and old culms that die and fall to the ground. The moisture rich mulch
rapidly decomposes into a humus layer enriching the soil and reducing evaporative
moisture loss and enhancing fungal microbial diversity.
Page |3-Afribam
15,906,483
$268.05
$0.73
16%
84%
4
636,259
3,340,361
3,976,621
97%
91.40%
680
kg/m
391,000
Tons/Year
575,000
m/Year
1,161,173
6,096,160
Tons/Year
Tons/Year
1,707,608
8,964,941
m/Year
m/Year
7,257,333
Tons/Year
10,672,548
m/Year
6,866,333
1856%
Tons/Year
10,672,548
m/Year
With an estimated daily use of wood for cooking per household to be 5kg/day, this
equates to a demand 7,257,333 metric tons per annum or 10,672,548 m3 of timber.
The total annual sustainable yield from all industrial plantations is estimated at
575,000 m3, available over the next two decades. This requires 1856% increase in
yield to meet the current demand, a mammoth challenge. The problem is further
compounded by the fact that the bulk of the current commercial timber production is
for value added products such as furniture, plywood, block boards and matches. The
remainder of the volume is being collected for domestic firewood purposes. The
formal processing sector requires an annual log intake of 120 000 m3. Conversion
efficiency is about 50%.
The vast deficit means that the balance of the timber for domestic firewood is being
sourced from the diminishing natural forests, escalating level of deforestation from
increasing demands for timber and fuel wood. The resulting environmental, social,
and economic impacts require urgent attention.
Page |4-Afribam
increased risks of flooding, and the siltation of rivers, dams, and lakes. The integrity
and biodiversity of water catchments is now threatened with far-reaching effects on
water supplies, agriculture, fisheries, industry, trade, and health. To maintain present
forest levels and to keep pace with timber demands, an estimated 160 million trees
need to be planted annually. Currently, there are only about 60 million trees planted
with an average survival rate of 60%, this means the forests are steadily
disappearing. The pending social, environmental, and economic consequences are
dire.
Wood and charcoal are in high demand with diminishing supply Locally
available
Page |5-Afribam
Given the severity of the pending wood and timber shortage coupled with escalating
energy prices, we feel that bamboo offers sustainable alternatives to meet some of
the needs of both domestic and commercial/industrial demand. While there are
several initiatives to replant and preserve timber plantations, currently none are
planting bamboo. Giant bamboo has similar characteristics to timber but has several
distinct and unique properties.
o
Bamboo can be propagated in several different ways: Seed, this is unreliable as most giant tropical species only produce seed
intermittently and only prolifically before dying at 40 to 120 years of age.
Storing seed is not feasible as it only remains viable for short periods,
typically 6 months.
Vegetative cuttings, do not take root easily with high mortality rates
Division, this is feasible but requires a large stock of mother material and the
labour costs of splitting large stands is prohibitive.
Tissue culture has been demonstrated to be the most cost effective way of
producing virile clones from healthy plants with superior traits.
Page |6-Afribam
AfriBam has invested a large amount of time and resources into identifying both
varieties that are best suited to cultivate, under what conditions; also identifying
which varieties can best exploit the commercial opportunities available. Bamboo
need not be grown exclusively as a cash or timber crop, it can be considered for
providing supplementary dual purpose and utility functions, like security or stockproof hedges, windbreaks, water filtration and soil stabilization. While performing
these functions it can provide farmers with:
Fast growing and sustainable harvesting, when mature after 4 to 5 years, 30%
of the culms can be harvested annually
Lightweight strong and flexible (bamboo has the tensile strength of steel)
Giant clumping species are not invasive and are low maintenance
Excellent windbreak
Page |7-Afribam
Good soil retention reducing erosion, their fine shallow and densely knitted root
mass acts like a sponge absorbing runoff water and binding the soil
Excellent water efficiency their shallow roots (60cm) means bamboo does not
impact the lower water table
The waste material like branches and leaves can be used as compost or
animal feed for goats and cattle
Scaffolding and ladders, reinforcing in concrete for lintels and water tanks.
While Bamboo has been cultivated and utilised in places like China and India
for hundreds if not thousands of years, its commercial potential is only recently
being appreciated. It has high potential for downstream processing and job
creation, in recent years numerous developments in R&D and processing
techniques has given rise to a range of high end bamboo products.
o
Bamboo fibre for textile and new light weight composite materials for
the auto and aerospace industries
Supplements for food nutrition (high in fibre) and the cosmetic (high in
silica) industries
High fibre pulp for paper and carton manufacture (60% of Indias paper
comes from bamboo)
Page |8-Afribam
The yield of bamboo varies according to species as well as local conditions like
climate and soil type. Our experience has lead us to anticipate yields from selected
spices of 3.5 new culms per annum, with an average dry weight of 30kg each, when
mature (3 years old). This will enable the continual satiable harvesting of 3 to 4
culms per stand of bamboo every year for the duration of the life of the plant,
typically between 40 and 120 years depending on the species.
New Culms/Stand
3.5
p.a.
30
kg
5kg
/household
MK
USD
60
0.14
300
0.71
Bamboo Fuel Efficiency is potentially less than 0.5kg to cook for an hour
Using Bamboo & Cleaner Cooking Technology
Household fuel requirement is less than
1.5
Kg/day
70%
547.5 Kg/pa
Page |9-Afribam
Under optimal soil and climate conditions, a bamboo plantation will yield over 30
tons/ha annually. I.e. 1 ha can yield enough wood fuel for the annual fuel
requirements of approximately 55 households.
If we look at the current daily estimated household expenditure on wood fuel for
cooking, it equates roughly to the daily national average income. If rural households
can grow their own fuel to cook; it would not only provide significant relief to the
remaining forest resources but vastly improve households disposable income with
significant socio economic benefits. For an investment of the equivalent of 15
days average income, a rural household could become fuel self sufficient.
Benefits and advantages include
Foraging for wood will no longer be necessary; children especially girls will be
able to complete their education
Combining cleaner cooking technology reduces the fuel required to cook and
reduces household air pollution HAP, with significant improvements to health
P a g e | 10 - A f r i b a m
While AfriBams commercial focus is the supply of plants and services to;
commercial farmers, agro-processing and forestry sectors. Our corporate social
responsibility program is focused towards subsistence, rural farming communities.
AfriBam is engaging with NGO organizations to explore ways to introduce and
educate rural communities about the benefits of bamboo. We can supply a variety of
utility specific species, training and skills transfer workshops to NGOs who promote
bamboo as a tool for rural development.
P a g e | 11 - A f r i b a m
3.5
1,093.8
30
32.81
Per ha
12.5
25.0
313
kg
Cash flow cycles - Eucalyptus 8 year cycles, once mature with bamboo cash
flow is generated annually
With bamboo only 30% of the culms are harvested leaving the canopy and
environmental integrity intact.
in
challenging
environments
and
creates
additional
job
P a g e | 12 - A f r i b a m
opportunities. If splitting and chipping is done at the extraction point the lower
density of bamboo can be mitigated.
Eucalyptus roots can descend to 30m, large trees can suck up over
700L of water a day
Under optimal soil and climate bamboo yields more than 30 tons per ha,
comparable if not superior to Eucalyptus.
Product, while the market for bamboo products is new, they are recognised
as being "greener" and more sustainable
Lets assume the bamboo plantation lasts only 60 and not 120 years: Summary Comparative Table: Plantation & Establishment Costs
Per Ha Costs
Bamboo Higher
Plant Bag Cost
1
x
Planting
1
x
Maintenance
1
x
Over 60 years (all of the above, compounded)
1
x
Eucalyptus
1.31
5.33
5.33
2.5
P a g e | 13 - A f r i b a m
Bamboo is a type of grass and is the fastest growing woody plant on the
planet, it grows to its full height and girth in only 3 to 4 months and can
exceed 120cm in a 24 hour period.
Bamboo can be eaten (new shoots), made into fibre for clothing, it can be
used in concrete reinforcement, in can provide great livestock feed with the
foliage being up to 22% protein, it can be machined into numerous forms of
lumber, etc. It might be easier to compile a list of what bamboo cannot be
used for than what it is used for.
Bamboo can also tolerate extreme conditions that most plants cannot. It was
actually the first plant to re-green after the atomic blast in Hiroshima in 1945.
The quality of soil is improved and soil erosion is prevented by bamboos root
system. This helps retain more water in the land without it draining into the
river or lake. Bamboo plants reduce runoff and prevent water pollution
through its high nitrogen consumption.
Ethanol and liquid diesel can be produced using bamboo as the raw material.
Diesel has been produced in South America since 1947
Bamboo, when used as fire wood, produces more btu per weight than
hardwood and makes less ash.
P a g e | 14 - A f r i b a m
Bamboo can produce 2 to 6 times as much cellulose per acre as pine. Pine or
mixed forests increase 2 to 5 percent per year in biomass. Groves of bamboo
increase 10 to 30 percent each year.
Easily grown Pesticide and Fertilizer Free Bamboo not only resists bacteria
and fungi, but also pests! This makes it one of the only cash crops that can
grow and flourish without the use of any pesticides or fertilizers whatsoever.
Thats clean living for your health, your skin and your environment!
Provides Safe Housing: Over 1 billion people in the world live in BAMBOO
HOUSES. Bamboo buildings have proven to be exceedingly earthquake
proof.
About Us
P a g e | 15 - A f r i b a m
For further information on Bamboo and its cultivation, please refer to our
document: - Afribam, Bamboo - An illustrated guide to planting bamboo and its
maintenance
Please feel free to visit our website www.afribam.com or contact Grant Blumrick via
email on grant@afribam.com or Cell: +265 99 9 964 337
P a g e | 16 - A f r i b a m