Venezuela thinks bamboo

From 30 October to 3 November, the workshop on Sustainable Management of Bamboo with emphasis on Bambusa vulgaris was held in San Rafael de Carvajal, Venezuela.

With the support of the Heifer Ecuador Foundation and the University of the Andes of Venezuela, INBAR and the San Rafael de Carvajal municipality co-organized a five-day workshop on Sustainable Management of Bamboo with emphasis on Bambusa vulgaris. The meeting was attended by 28 people, including farmers from the area and technicians from local institutions. The Mayor of San Rafael de Carvajal, Wilson Marín Leal, attended the opening ceremony and expressed gratitude for the city having the opportunity to serve as the venue for this event, with the future goal of developing products with bamboo that will generate jobs.

Participants using their new knowledge during the workshop.

For the training process, INBAR donated specialized tools and equipment to facilitate working with bamboo. These were used throughout the workshop. Participants had the opportunity to learn about various bamboo items such as straws, keychains, edible shoots, laminates, card holders and more, revealing the wide potential for use that the resource offers on a global scale.

Among the topics that were addressed in the workshop included a general overview of bamboo, propagation, planting, maintenance, cultural work, inventory, harvesting, preservation and more. In addition, the training process was complemented with a practical phase in which attendees carried out branch-pruning activities using the provided tools.

Juan Carlos Salazar, instructor of the workshop, along with participants and representatives of the San Rafael de Carvajal Municipality

Juan Carlos Salazar, Heifer Ecuador Technician who taught during the course, highlighted that this initiative helps awaken greaters interest in bamboo. “There was active participation, collaboration and thought-provoking questions regarding propagation, management (such as planting, pruning, stump grooming), conducting inventories, harvest and preservation,” he noted. At the same time, Amarilis Burgos, also helping teach at the school, mentioned that this process allows participants to deepen their understanding of this natural resource. “It was a great experience for me. It was the first time I have worked as an instructor in an INBAR workshop. The training process was practical, complemented by theory. This made the participants, both producers and technicians from institutions, become more involved and take ownership of the content of the workshop,” he adds.

In this context, José Milanés, City Official and also participant, also pointed out that several questions about bamboo were resolved. “It was a fruitful training where concerns were clarified, and methodologies and practices were taught in unison,” he indicates.

As for continuing to promote the resource in the territory, Fabian Zerpa, Official at the Ministry of Popular Power for Ecosocialism, considers bamboo to be a universal treasure. “In Venezuela, it is necessary to share more knowledge. There are a large number of species, and with more advanced technical procedures we will take a big step toward its promotion,” he emphasized.

Adolfo Paredes, President of the Reforestation Company attached to the Ministry of Popular Power for Ecosocialism, also agrees with this. “We thank INBAR for the training as it will allow us to strengthen environmental management in Venezuela,” he says.

At the end of November, a second workshop will continue in the area related to construction with bamboo. These efforts come in addition to an initial construction workshop held in Mérida in 2022, which had the aim of enhancing bamboo use in the biodiversity-rich territory.