Bamboo Can Strengthen and Diversify the Incomes of Smallholder Farmers: IPS

14 – 15 March 2019
Dr. Saman Kelegama Auditorium, IPS

Bamboo has the potential to revamp the agricultural sector of Sri Lanka by strengthening and diversifying the incomes of smallholder farmers, an agricultural economist pointed out recently.

IPS Research Fellow, Manoj Thibbotuwawa, made these remarks at the Stakeholder Workshop on Bamboo Sector Road Map/ Country Action/ Strategic Plan Development, organised by the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) and IPS recently.

Dr. Thibbotuwawa also pointed out that bamboo can help to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change, by providing cleaner biogas, protecting forests and watersheds, absorbing and storing carbon, providing a source of renewable energy, and reducing soil erosion.

Bamboo can also play a significant role in attaining several of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as ending poverty by creating jobs, providing a source of renewable energy, acting as raw material to build inclusive, safe, and sustainable cities and housing, promoting management and efficient use of natural resources, and helping to face the impacts of climate change, said Sustainable Expert at International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), Ralf Kuepper.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Senior Research Scientist at ITI, Neville Amunugoda, expressed the institute’s willingness to collaborate with all stakeholders to develop the bamboo sector in Sri Lanka. Dr. Amunugoda further noted that this workshop was the first step in this initiative.