Ghana has about 400,000 hectares of bamboo and three main rattan species that are used traditionally and modernly. Traditionally, bamboo and rattan are used for farm baskets, cocoa drying platforms, chicken coops, houses, TV antenna poles, and musical instruments. Modern uses include building materials, school buildings, furniture, arts centers, bicycles, and charcoal/briquettes. While Ghana has made progress utilizing bamboo and rattan, further adoption of technologies and addressing issues like sustainable exploitation and quality standards could help scale up utilization.

1. Bamboo and rattan utilization in Ghana
An Overview
Paul Osei-Tutu, INBAR West Africa Regional Coordinator
ptutu@inbar.int

2.  About 400,000 ha of bamboo
• Bambusa vulgaris
• Oxythenanthera abyssinica
• 3 main rattan species
• Eremospatha spp.
• Lacosperma spp.
• Calamus spp.
 both traditional and modern
bamboo and rattan
utilization

3. Traditional uses
Farm basket. Source: thefrogblog.org.uk

4. Traditional uses
Cocoa drying platform, chicken coop and farm house. Source:
http://cocoafarmingpix.blogspot.com/2010/10/coopaga.html

5. Traditional uses
TV antenna pole

6. Traditional uses
Traditional reclining chair. Source: tonaton.com

7. Traditional uses
Bamboo entertainment: flute & canon

8. Modern uses
Truckload of bamboo, quite new and increasingly
common sight in Ghana

9. Modern uses
Bamboo selling point, quite new and increasingly
common sight in Ghana

10. Modern uses
Building support poles

11. Modern uses
Bamboo beach camp

12. Modern uses
Bamboo resort apartment

13. Modern Uses
Bamboo school building & bamboo school furniture

14. Bamboo laminated school furnitureModern uses
Laminated
bamboo school
furniture

15. Modern uses
Bamboo school block. Source:
http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/blog/gone-to-ghana-
volunteering-in-africa/64

16. Bamboo arts center
Modern uses

17. The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
Modern uses
Rattan/bamboo furniture. Source:
http://vividwaysonline.com/

18. Bamboo bicycle frame
Modern uses

19. Modern uses
Artifacts. Made by a lady artisan (Phoebe: priscaowusu2015@gmail.com)

20. Bamboo charcoal and briquettes
Modern uses

21. Bamboo pellets
Modern uses

22. The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
Concluding remarks
 Ghana has made significant progress in
bamboo and rattan utilization
 There is room for further adoption and
upscale of bamboo utilization
technologies/options
 Issues that require attention
• Higher recovery (bamboo charcoal), product
innovation, quality standards/certification,
packaging and marketing
• Regulation of resource exploitation and
cultivation to ensure sustainability

23. The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
Thank you
Merci