The document discusses a potential project using bamboo to restore degraded land in Cameroon. It provides background on land degradation issues and the Bonn Challenge to restore 150 million hectares of degraded land by 2020. A mission visited Cameroon to discuss the project with stakeholders and identify suitable sites. The project would aim to create a profitable bamboo value chain to restore land and improve food security and livelihoods. Potential components include developing policy and supply chains, sustainable bamboo resource management, processing facilities, marketing, and restoration of degraded land. The document recommends piloting the project in northern Cameroon and sharing information to support bamboo artisans.

1. Yuji Niino, Technical Officer, Land and Water Division, FAO
26 June 2018

2. Global restoration challenge
The Bonn Challenge: Bring 150 million hectares deforested and
degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares
by 2030

3. Background and justification for the mission
• ¼ of the earth’s land suffering from severe land degradation
• 1/3 land in Cameroon degraded
• biggest contributors to GHG emissions
• main challenges to feeding growing population
• restoring 150 million ha degraded land by 2030 help feeding 200 million
people
• Bonn Challenge - bamboo for land restoration
• NWFP won a reputation for its remarkable environmental properties -
restore land/landscape, conserve soil and water, improve land quality,
mitigate and adapt to climatic changes
• assist the government by gathering relevant local information for developing
a project proposal for land restoration, food security and poverty alleviation
with bamboo

4. Mission objectives
• To discuss and consult with the concerned stakeholders on the
assignment, work to do and roles to play for preparation of a
project proposal
• To gather relevant local information and identify site(s) for
developing a project proposal on ‘bamboo for land restoration,
food security and poverty alleviation in Cameroon’
• To draft an outline draft of the project proposal

5. Mission details
• 27 August - 9 September 2017
• Members: FAO (forestry, land); INBAR (Beijing, Ghana)
• Stakeholder consultation (MINREX, MINFOF, MINEPDED, IUCN,
WWF, FODER, ICRAF, IFAD, IITA, Cam-Eco, etc.)
• Field visit:
• 2 - 5 September 2017
• FAO, INBAR, MINREX, DPT/MINFOF, FODER
• Ayos, Dzeng, Edia, Kribi, Loum, Ebone and Douala

6. Main findings
Long Term Goals:
• Create a profitable and market-driven bamboo value chain in favour
of degraded land restoration, food security and livelihood
improvement
• Lift Cameroon to become one of the leading countries in the
western and central African region on the bamboo production and
development
Gaps:
• Value chain development in initial stage (e.g. nursery, plantation,
processing, marketing and institutional building)
• Many gaps and issues to be overcome (supporting policies, suitable
species, skills and knowledge management, marketing, etc.)

7. Possible components
1. Policy enabling and mobilization of actors for a sustainable
bamboo supply chain
2. Sustainable bamboo resource management and supply
3. Bamboo processing for creating jobs and incomes for
communities
4. Marketing development and Capacity Building
5. Restoration of degraded land

8. Possible components
1. Policy enabling and mobilization of actors for a sustainable
bamboo supply chain
1) Policy and standard formulation and implementation for bamboo supply
chain development
2) Establish and implement a communication plan for promoting bamboo
supply chain
3) Organize information and sensitization workshops with main actors in
bamboos sector
4) Organize training workshops for major producers/collectors of bamboo
on relevant topics
5) Support organization of producers/collectors of bamboo production into
cooperatives
6) Organize exchange workshop and visits of bamboo actors at international,
national, regional levels

9. Possible components
2. Sustainable bamboo resource management and supply
1) Bamboo plantation for sustainable raw material supply and restore
degraded lands
2) Sustainable management and harvesting of existing bamboo resource
3) Modelling and identification of potential degraded lands for bamboo
plantations
4) Build the agricultural extension capacity and train technique for farmers
5) Empower the institutes and CSOs in research and technology transfer on
seedlings, bamboo cultivation techniques

10. Possible components
3. Bamboo processing for creating jobs and incomes for communities
1) Create three tooth-pick demonstration factories
2) Build two mah-jong mats demonstration factories
3) Build two bamboo charcoal manufacturing units
4) Mobilize private sectors to invest and create bamboo SMEs
5) Profile artisans and facilitate their organization into Regional/City
Associations and National Association
6) Exchange visits and artisans training to China and among Cameroon,
including Chinese artisans teaching in Cameroon
7) Provide training on product quality, innovation and marketing to artisans
8) Explore the potential and pilot processing edible bamboo shoots for local
and international markets

11. Possible components
4. Marketing development and Capacity Building
1) Market need and potential survey for bamboo products
2) Promote consumption market/encourage the consumption of bamboo
products
3) Create bamboo demo/market places on at least 2 council sites
4) Build capacity of research and industrial extension for bamboo market
5) Build artisan villages/workshops/ common facility centres
6) Build model bamboo house/community centre/market
7) Build bamboo resort centre/restaurant + bamboo/rattan handicrafts.
8) Build a joint Cameroon-USA-China Centre of Cyberinfrastructure,
Geospatial data and bamboo technology research centre for supporting all
activities involving in components 1-5, esp. on restoring degraded lands

12. Possible components
5. Restoration of degraded land
1) Assess the status of land degradation in Cameroon
2) Pilot selected land restoration options including selected bamboo species
based on agro-ecological zones
3) Draft national strategy on land degradation and restoration
4) Quantify carbon sequestered in the bamboo plantation and managed
bamboo forest
5) Assess climate change vulnerability and adaptation of bamboo plantations

13. Recommendations
1. Pilot project to restore degraded lands in the North (including
River Benue)
2. Collate and share information on bamboo products
• price and possible suppliers of bamboo processing machines
(toothpick, mat) and share with stakeholders
3. Training workshop for possible use of bamboo
4. Supporting mechanism of bamboo and rattan artisans in
Cameroon