INBAR organizes national dialogue for Liberia’s bamboo and rattan development

Event seeks to strengthen collaboration and attract financial support for utilizing the plant resources.

On 13 May 2025, INBAR and the Liberia Forestry Development Authority (FDA) organized a national stakeholders’ dialogue in Monrovia, Liberia, to leverage support from national stakeholders, international development partners and potential donors in Liberia and to raise awareness and help identify sources of financing for project development in the bamboo and rattan sector. Liberia’s forests are valuable renewable natural resources that provide numerous benefits to the country. Bamboo and rattan grow in almost every ecological zone of Liberia. The forest is rich in naturally grown bamboo and rattan, which offer abundant raw material support for furniture, construction and handicraft industries. The sector has the potential to contribute to the local economy, create jobs and increase overall GDP.

However, despite the presence of these sustainable resources, Liberia has yet to take advantage of the sector and invest in its full development. There is a lack of programs, projects and financial support from the national government, international development partners and the private sector. To address this gap, INBAR’s West Africa Regional Office collaborated with the Liberia FDA to organize a dialogue on bamboo and rattan sector development. The event brought together representatives from the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), embassies and high commissions, the European Union Delegation, Liberia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the private sector and other key stakeholders.

Delivering his speech at the dialogue, the Managing Director of Liberia Development Authority, Rudolph Merab Sr., expressed his appreciation to INBAR for collaborating with FDA to organize such an important dialogue and initiative, as the first of its kind in Liberia. The event elevated bamboo and rattan to the national stage in promoting value chain development and environmental sustainability.

“The National Dialogue is a bold and structured initiative to rejuvenate, promote and develop Liberia’s bamboo and rattan sector to create jobs, fight climate change and cultivate a national culture of environmental responsibility, particularly among the youth and local people whose livelihoods depend on the two resources” said Merab.

He noted that stakeholders, especially development partners in Liberia such as the World Bank, European Union (EU), FAO, and embassies in attendance at the dialogue have already demonstrated their collective understanding in supporting the future financing of projects and programs for the bamboo and rattan sector. He further noted that INBAR and the FDA will jointly work together to develop national project proposals and submit them for the consideration of the development partners.

In their remarks, representatives from the World Bank, FAO and the EU all expressed their interest in collaborating with Liberia FDA and INBAR to support the development of the bamboo and rattan sector. The World Bank in particular was very interested in the use of bamboo to restore and rehabilitate degraded lands to confront the climate crisis. It is expected that this dialogue will become a cornerstone for renewing interest in the development of Liberia’s bamboo and rattan sector to attract financial support from donors and development partners in the country.