Bamboo in the global and Australian contexts

As a forest and plantation species (actually a group of species, but often referred to by the generic term ‘bamboo’), bamboo commands a position of great importance in Asia and one of increasing importance in Africa and Latin America. The People’s Republic of China consumes more than one million tonnes of bamboo shoots annually and global trade in bamboo products is estimated to be worth between US$2.2 billion and US$7.0 billion.Although the biomass of mature bamboo does not differ markedly from that of forest tree stands, bamboo growth rates of 10–30 t/ha/year are achieved within a few years of planting; considerably quicker than most woody species. For this reason, bamboo can be harvested much earlier than forest species, providing a quicker return on capital investment. With its great potential as a timber substitute and food source, bamboo could play an important role in assisting development goals in countries with the appropriate growing environment. In addition, its role in providing ecosystem services makes it an increasingly attractive choice for a wide range of applications.In Australia, bamboo was originally planted to provide edible shoots to the domestic and subsequently an export market, and research on production, postharvest management and marketing was developed towards shoots. Managers of bamboo plantations now are searching for uses of mature culms. While the importation of bamboo furniture and flooring into Australia is on the increase, local culm production is yet to, and is unlikely to in the short term, reach a critical volume to merit full-scale processing. At present the Australian bamboo industry is experiencing setbacks, primarily because of sustained drought, but research on maintaining clumps during water shortage, and use of bamboo in wastewater treatment, as well as ongoing productivity trials, are making a valuable contribution to the global interest in bamboo.