Utilizing Bamboo -A Case Study of Nagaland, India
Nagaland is a culturally rich state lying in the hills and mountains of India’s northeastern part. It is a powerhouse of indigenous food, music, dances, and crafts. The natural mountainous environment is well integrated into the lives of the people living there. It is an important part of the colorful culture of India. The forests of Nagaland are rich in bamboo and cane.
It stands as a prime example of “Observe and Interact”; the state makes its job easier by utilizing abundant resources efficiently and maximizing diversity.
The Naga people have survived through the centuries with the varied uses of bamboo and its products. From cutting the umbilical cord to the mats that have wrapped the dead for burial, Bamboo has been integral to the life of the Nagas. It continues to play a predominant role in the lives of people even today in every walk of life that, ranges from agricultural tools and implements to shelter, food, and livelihood.
Why bamboo?
- Bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly materials on the planet due to how it’s grown, the method of harvesting, and how it gets transported to your door.
- Bamboo plants can grow in infertile soil. It is the fastest-growing canopy for greening degraded areas and can generate more oxygen than the equivalent stand of other tree species. When it grows in infertile soil, it provides farmers with an income (because they can now grow things where they previously couldn’t), and it repairs the land by making it fertile again.
- Bamboo can even remove toxins from the earth. Phytoremediation is when bamboo removes lead and mercury from the earth and traps them inside its stalk. After the stalk is harvested, instead of dying and decomposing, the toxins remain inside the stalk, where they pose no danger to humans.
- Plus, bamboo is grown without pesticides, so there’s no spraying of chemicals that can be hazardous to human health, unlike other plants.
- Another way bamboo is incredibly eco-friendly is how its harvested. For thousands of years, bamboo forests have been harvested by hand, meaning no heavily polluting feller kicking out CO2.
- It lowers light intensity, protects against ultraviolet rays, and is an atmosphere and soil purifier.
How is bamboo utilized in Nagaland?
- Finished Industries Bamboo products in the form of Bamboo ply, Bamboo timber, flooring tiles, shuttering, curtain making, etc.
- Intermediary Bamboo industries and semi-finished products for the production of chopsticks, toothpicks, skewers, incense sticks, etc.
- Bamboo Craft, Handicraft, and Art.
- Bamboo Charcoal and Bamboo Charcoal Industries Products in the form of active Bamboo charcoal filter products.
- Bamboo Food Products in the form of i. Raw Bamboo shoot food products ii. Finished Bamboo shoot food products
- Bamboo Medicine and chemical products/Alcohol Beverages
- Bamboo-related ancillary activities such as Tourism etc.
How are they developing bamboo as an enterprise?
Development of ‘’Bamboo as enterprise’’ shall evolve policies and action plans that will focus on the following aspects:
Promote Bamboo-based Industries:
- Food Products
- Medicinal, Chemical Products, and Alcohol Beverages
- Craft, handicraft, and Art Products
- Value-added products and wood substitutes include ply, flooring tiles, shuttering, etc.
Create awareness of the uses and value of Bamboo by imparting Training, seminars, workshops, etc.
What bamboo species grow in your place?
How is it used? Did you get any new ideas to plant and utilize bamboo after reading?
We hope that by learning about the benefits and uses of bamboo, you will be inspired to integrate it into your permaculture farm. If you are intrigued by this, feel free to read more about the state and resources on NAGALAND’s BAMBOO POLICY.
If you are a farmer and want to learn more about permaculture farming or to offer your services in a more regenerative way – become a certified Permaculture Designer with us!
