China Green Carbon Foundation

What are the secrets behind China's development and utilization of bamboo resources?

The “Community Bamboo Plantations Study Tour in China, New Generation Plantations " was held from this June 15 to 19, which gathered over 50 enterprise and government representatives, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) partners in the bamboo industry from 15 countries to learn experiences from China in the development and utilization of bamboo resources.

Previously, China has held a number of similar seminars and field trips to share with other countries its successful experience in the development and utilization of plantations and resource cultivation.

Why is China's development and utilization of bamboo resources so remarkable?

China GreenTimes' reporter went along with the delegation to Anji County and Lin'an City of Zhejiang Province, the typical bamboo industry development areas in China, to uncovertheir ways of development and utilization of bamboo resources.

Source — professional cooperative optimizes planting

Only five years were taken by Liu Jiatang Village, Shangshu Township of Anji County, to cover the originally sparse hills with moso bamboo.

Prior to 2010, most residents in Liu Jiatang went out to work in cities, the allocated moso bamboo forests were left unattended, and many moso bamboo forests were with low profit or nearly abandoned.

In 2010, the village leader Chu Xuesong launched the Anji Xiyuan Bamboo Shoot Professional Cooperative that adopted the family contracting contribution model and implemented the unified brand, sales, management and fertilization; peasant households may participate in the Cooperative at free will and enjoy dividends according to contributions.

At present, the Cooperative has involved a total of 136 households, boasting a planting area of 4700 mu (313 hectares). Chu told the reporter, by strengthening management, the annual average yields of fresh bamboo and bamboo shoot can be up to 1000 Kg to 2000 Kg and 100 Kg per mu, leading to a 20% increase of income.

Besides, villagers can also participate in the management and protection of bamboo forest to earn extra money. The bamboo forest management is easy and possible even for the elderly and disabled. In addition, the Cooperative built forest roads that facilitated transportation and reduced transportation cost.

Chu has begun to plan for future development as the bamboo forest was well managed and income of households raised. Under his leadership, the Cooperative has set up a 500 mu of Premium Xiyuan Moso Bamboo Garden to try a diversified operation mode that integratedbamboo economy and leisure tourism.

This year, the interplanted adinandra milletii, taxus chinensis, savatier Monochasma and gynostemma in the Garden have started turning a profit, and the price of fresh bamboo wine in trial production can be up to 200 yuan per section. The Garden was built according to the style of scenic spots, and a sidewalk was paved around the dam for tourists to enjoy the scenery and experience farming activities such as digging bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest. At present, the village has opened five happy farmhouses which received 5000 person trips, each making an income of over 100,000 yuan last year.

Villager Li Qingping had 50 mu of moso bamboo forest, but she gave it little care in the past because of its low yield. Since the establishment of the Cooperative, Li Qingping hascontracted for 500 mu of moso bamboo forest, and her annual household income reached probably over 100,000 yuan in a good harvest year. A few years ago, Li built a two-story house which faced a dense moso bamboo forest, while free-ranging chickens were wandering in the forest. What a very pleasant life!

"What are the qualifications for villagers to participate in the Cooperative?" "What benefitscan be obtained by joining in the Cooperative?" "What is the frequency of holding cooperative conference?" How does the Cooperative make and share profits?"… The members of the delegation exchanged warmly besides the small reservoir outside the Premium Xiyuan Moso Bamboo Garden. With the patient explanation for questions about cooperative development, villagers' interests and so on from Chu Xuesong, they highly praised the forestry share cooperation mechanism, the community relationship spontaneously developed and promoted bythe Chinese farmers.

Innovation — processing chain improves constantly

The environmental-friendly and durable bamboo furniture, safe and beautiful bamboo doors and windows, light and comfortable bamboo sofa, and soft and breathable bamboo home textile... In Zhejiang Yongyu Modern Bamboo Industry Ecomuseum, with the interpretation of the guide, the delegation members personally experienced the rich and colorful bamboo products, such as bamboo lamps and lanterns, bamboo decorations and bamboo articles for daily use. The concept of "bamboo space builder" of Yongyu Company was fully uncovered.

Founded in 2000, Zhejiang Yongyu Bamboo Joint-stock Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in production of bamboo flooring. In 2010, the company expanded the production range, and developed new products including bamboo furniture, bamboo decorations and bamboo articles for daily use; and put forward the objective of "bamboo space builder", seeking to build a complete living space with bamboo.

At present, the company has developed more than 300 kinds of products, involving household and office furniture, and other product ranges. The products are exported to over 20 European and American countries, and custom bamboo products are also available. The company's sales revenue hit 300 million yuan in 2014.

In 2014, the company established the first bamboo industry research institute that introduced four cooperating academies and invited some 20 experts and scholars including academician Zhang Qisheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in order to frame a product integration development system, gathered advanced R&D and design talents of bamboo industry at home and abroad, and provided intellectual support for design and manufacturing.

In addition to paying equal attention to industry-university-research cooperation, Zhejiang Dazhuang Industrial Group Co., Ltd. centers on improving the added value of bamboo products.

Dazhuang Group is among the first national key leading forestry enterprises; and since its establishment in 1993, it has built partnerships with the University of Cambridge, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhejiang A&F University, Nanjing Forestry University and other famous universities and research institutions at home and abroad, and developed the bamboo technology boasting flame retardancy, sound absorption, high corrosion resistance and other features that can adapt to the demands for bamboo products under different conditions.

Dazhuang has developed eight series of bamboo products, and built the largest bamboo project — Madrid Airport. Dazhuang also built cooperation with BMW for providing bamboo automobile interiors.

The company's senior engineer Liu Hongzheng made a calculation for us: The added value of a bamboo used in making bamboo flooring is 8000 yuan per cubic meter; outdoor high corrosion landscape materials and home decoration 30,000 yuan; and BMW automobile interiors 100,000 yuan.

Ecological protection — forest carbon sinks operation continues

Recently, the farmers in Lin'an City of Zhejiang Province have found one more way of increasing income through moso bamboo forest.

In 2010, Lin'an was approved as the carbon sink pilot area by the State Forestry Administration, and had begun to implement carbon sink afforestation. Lin'an Municipal Forestry Bureau made some regulations on the forest land for carbon sink afforestation project that the forest land shall have a forest right certificate with an operating period longer than 20 years and area larger than 10 mu.

Party Branch Secretary Zhang Jianrong of Niluo Village of Heqiao Township has 128 mu of moso bamboo forest, he applied to join in the carbon sink afforestation project, with an operating period from 2013 to 2033; and 725.2 tons of carbon sink increase/emission reduction will be achieved in the crediting period.

Zhang Jianrong is accompanied by another 41 households in the forest carbon sequestrationproject. According to measurement, total emission reduction of 22,030 tons will be achieved in the 42 households' forest lands during 20-year crediting period. Peasant households signed agreements with the local forestry exchange which is commissioned to sell carbon sinks.

Entrusted by Lin'an City Forestry Bureau, Zhejiang A&F University prepared the forest management methodology for small-scale peasant households, and developed individual forest management plan for each household. Lin'an City Forestry Bureau formulated measures for the management of bamboo carbon sequestration plantation that identified the methods and requirements for project application, management and trading, and provided specific technical guidance for forestry households.

Deputy Director Zhu Yongjun of Lin'an City Forestry Bureau told the reporter that by implementing ecological and sustainable forest management, the moso bamboo forest cancapture 6 tons of emission reduction per hectare each year. In addition to increasing forestry households' income, the forest quality will be further enhanced and the social function of the forestry will be reflected by carbon neutral.

Representative Mr. Andrew Heald from the UK said, when the British researchers and scientists are still arguing endlessly on the complex and complicated carbon sink measurement and monitoring methods, China Green Carbon Foundation has established the mechanism, developed good methods and put them into practice to benefit the community and people.

In October 2014, the first five-year forest carbon sink of Phase I of forest carbonsequestration project was purchased by China Construction Bank Zhejiang Branch at $5 per ton to offset the carbon dioxide emission by the Branch. Zhang Jianrong achieved an income of 10,000 yuan from this trading.

"We did not know the beautiful forest can make money before the forestry bureau's visit. Now the bamboo grows better, so does our income." Zhang Jianrong said with a smile.

From production and processing to realization of ecological function, the development and utilization of bamboo resources has provided a broad development space for forestry households, enterprises and society; and with the expansion of the international market, the bamboo industry will enjoy a better future.

(Author: Reporter Wang Yu and Correspondent Yuan Jinhong) (Editor: Zhang Shui)

Media: China GreenTimes. Publication date: July 13, 2015