Thought Note

DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission) Aajeevika, USAID, and Industree Foundation extend you a warm invitation to join us at the "National Symposium on Bamboo" on July 18th and 19th, 2024, at Radisson Blu, Delhi Airport, New Delhi. Bamboo’s potential to create high-impact livelihoods for rural women in the bioeconomy and industrial-focused value chains is waiting to be unleashed. This national symposium is a significant step towards
establishing the bamboo sub-sector under the DAY-NRLM, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.

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Nature-based solutions integrating Equity, Climate, and Gender (ECG) as cornerstones can transform local, national, and global supply chains, building economic sustainability and greater community resilience. Bamboo is uniquely positioned - within this ECG framework and amidst the urgent climate crisis - as a compelling scalable solution that can profoundly impact women’s economic empowerment and regenerative livelihoods.

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The global bamboo market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.65% to reach USD 123.16 billion by 2032. Recent technological advancements have increased the application of bamboo products as an alternative to wood material, pulp & paper, textiles, activated charcoal, and biofuel. India’s share in this global bamboo market is negligible despite its abundant natural resource base. The unexplored nature of its rich species diversity and its properties, the absence of an appropriate 
plantation model suited for the country’s smallholder farmers- who constitute over 86% of India’s farmers, and robust R&D, as well as lack of convergence and ineffective implementation of policies, are some of the key issues which limit the supply of bamboo to be used across various sectors.

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Hence, investing in bamboo plantations, collectively owned by the country’s most vulnerable rural, forest, and indigenous communities, is imperative to tackle this supply gap and secure demand equitably. The collaboration with DAY-NRLM will ensure women smallholder farmer collectives are set up across the country with access to the right scientific knowledge around agroecological/agroclimatic
conditions, species with commercial applications, and market-driven certification &
standards, will enable these collectives to become key partners of a robust supply-demand coalition. The bamboo sub-sector holds great promise to transform a million smallholder women farmers into “Lakhpati Didis.”

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