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Overview
Vietnam is the world’s third-largest exporter of bamboo with significant growth potential in both domestic and international markets. The country’s bamboo shoot sector, particularly in the northwest, offers promising opportunities for economic development and poverty reduction. In some of the more remote areas of Son La and Lao Cai provinces, where there is a high proportion of poor and those from ethnic minorities, bamboo shoots represent an important source of income for households living in the buffer zones of protected forests.
While bamboo shoot harvesting has traditionally been small-scale, increasing demand has spurred interest in expanding production and processing. To realise the full potential of this sector, improvements in harvesting and production techniques are needed to ensure sustainability, increased yields, and product quality. The bamboo shoot sector has the potential to create substantial local employment and contribute to the livelihoods of rural communities, especially ethnic minority women.
GREAT will take its growing market knowledge of the bamboo shoots sector and build on its work in phase one to continue to work with the Lao Cai and Son La Provincial Governments, and other partners, to support the inclusive development of the sector.
Key interventions
The following intervention areas support the inclusive and sustainable development of bamboo shoot sector in Son La and Lao Cai:
Building scale in sustainable bamboo shoot cultivation and production to attract greater private sector investment
Improving seedling supply to support the rapid expansion of production areas
Strengthening women-led producer groups and businesses and connecting to high-end markets
![ss1](https://equality.aus4vietnam.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SL_Bamboo2-scaled.jpg)
Expected outcomes
5,000 hectares of bamboo shoot are developed
7,200 farmer households are trained to improve technical capacity in production and service provision
5,040 households have increased income
15% increase in the number of women participating in household expense decision-making
80% of women participating in production or services provision have confidence in their technical capacity
![ss1](https://equality.aus4vietnam.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SL_Bamboo-scaled.jpg)