A Study of China’s Bamboo Project Aid to Rwanda

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1. China National Bamboo Research Center, Hangzhou 310012, China; 2. Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China

1 Introduction

As the largest developing country in the world, China insists to providing assistance within its ability to other developing countries under the framework of South-South Cooperation, in order to support and help the developing countries and especially the least developed countries to reduce poverty and improve people’s livelihood. China has actively participated in international development cooperation and has played a constructive role. Since the new century, China and African countries have shifted from the simple "aid" to the "cooperation" with the nature of aid, and have gradually accelerated assistance and cooperation efforts. In 2013, China-Africa trade volume reached $ 210 billion, and China surpassed the United States to become Africa’s largest trading partner for six consecutive years[1]. China’s investment in Africa has increased year by year, which has been the focus of attention of Europe, the United States and other developed countries. Forestry aid, as an important part of China’s aid to Africa, also plays an irreplaceable role.

2 Current situation of China’s forestry aid to Africa

2.1RichforestresourcesbutlowutilizationrateinAfricaAfrica has rich forest resources, and the forest cover area is about 650 million ha, accounting for 17% of total world forest cover area. There are abundant plant species in African tropical forests, and in about 10000 kinds of plants that have been identified, 3000 of them are Africa’s unique species[2]. The timber volume is large, and the economic value is high. It is the world’s major tropical timber production base rich in many valuable wood species. In recent years, Africa’s forestry has developed rapidly, and the growth rate of timber harvest has surpassed the world’s average. However, the use is unreasonable, and 90% of timber resources are for firewood. Few of them are used as industrial materials, and most of them are exported in the form of log. The rest of them are mostly used as sawing and cutting wood processed primarily, while the proportion of deep processed wood products is very small. In addition, the African timber exploitation and utilization rate is not high, and considerable timber resources are consumed naturally.

2.2ExistingmodelsofChina’sforestryaidtoAfricaThe forestry aid to Africa includes three aspects: buying timber from African countries; cooperating with African countries for deforestation; building wood processing plants in Africa. However, in some African countries with poor infrastructure, the transportation network is seriously flawed, power transmission and means of communication are inadequate, and the fuel supply is difficult, severely restricting the development of the timber industry. The overall legal system is not perfect in African countries. It does not provide a good macro environment for foreign investors, making more and more Chinese companies unwilling to go to Africa to carry out forestry investment and forestry trading. In addition, some African countries now lay great emphasis on the protection, ecological functions and sustainable use of forest resources. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new model of forestry cooperation at the government level.

3 Source and background of bamboo project model

During the implementation of Bamboo Planting, Processing and Utilization Project of the Ministry of Commerce for Rwanda undertaken by CBRC, useful experience has been accumulated, and summing up the development model of bamboo project can provide a useful reference for further forestry aid to Africa. China is known as "bamboo kingdom", and bamboo has become one of China’s four sunrise industries in the forestry development. Especially in the past 30 years, China’s bamboo industry has been developed by leaps and bounds. Currently, it has formed more than 3000 kinds of bamboo products. Bamboo technology is one of the traditional Chinese foreign aid projects, integrating the social, economic, and ecological benefits. It is an effective way to help the other countries to develop bamboo industry by using the most advanced techniques of bamboo cultivation, processing and utilization in China, which helps to alleviate poverty and better solves the local socio-economic and ecological problems. As one of the first units assuming the task of foreign aid training, since 1993, commissioned by the Ministry of Commerce, UNDP, UNIDO and the Indian government, Bamboo Research and Development Center has implemented 96 phases of multilateral technical training courses including 3 phases of ministerial training classes, and cultivated 2597 bamboo industry and forest industry talents for a total of 106 countries. In 2008, two participants from Rwanda were trained, and the participants learned rich bamboo planting and processing technology in China. After returning home, they expressed the hope to Rwandan government that China could help them to implement bamboo projects. In early 2009, Bamboo Research and Development Center sent five experts to Rwanda to implement the project. So far, three phases of projects have been implemented for six years, 21 experts have been dispatched, and the total project funding has reached 15 million yuan. Presently, the fourth phase project has been formally identified, and it will be completed in early 2017.

4 Bamboo project model

4.1Establishmentoftwobases(i) Bamboo planting base. The base area is 6000 m2, and there are 100000 bamboo seedlings; 3 bamboo varieties are introduced from China, growing well; the Rwanda staff are helped to establish 25 nurseries, with annual output value of $0.4 million and 400 employees; 2 bamboo demonstration bases are established, with an area of 10 ha. (ii) Bamboo processing base. Trainees can produce more than 150 kinds of bamboo woven products and bamboo furniture products to be exported to Uganda, Burundi and other East African countries; 2 bamboo machine processing bases are established, with an area of about 5000 m2, and the production lines of bamboo toothpick, bamboo curtain and bamboo mat are established.

4.2Stafftraining44 phases of bamboo planting and bamboo processing technology training are organized for a total of 840 people, including 20 phases of bamboo processing training classes to train 400 people, and 24 phases of bamboo planting technology training classes to train 440 people.

4.3Formationoffourmodels(i) Transfer of technology. With nursery training technology as a carrier, through the transfer of technology, the local farmers in Rwanda are helped to establish nursery, thereby improving the local economic income. (ii) "Going out" training. The project experts take the initiative to go to the Rwandan countryside, offer the training of bamboo planting and processing technology, and solve technical problems in the local production of bamboo. (iii) Soil erosion control. Rwanda is suffering from serious soil and water loss and is actively carrying out soil erosion control. Large-scale bamboo cultivation and planting technique extension speed up the Rwanda’s soil erosion control, with remarkable results. At the same time, bamboo can be also as raw material for processing and utilization, so as to increase farmers’ income. (iv) Industry chain thinking. With sample production training as basis and display of international product fair as carrier, the order model is used to produce and sell bamboo products, forming an industry chain integrating training, display, processing, production and sale.

5 Challenges

In recent years, with the gradual enhancement of China’s national strength and the establishment of China-Africa cooperation strategy, in terms of foreign cooperation on forestry, China is gradually changed from recipient country to donor country, but now it is still in transition. In general, the project in the first two phases is completed smoothly, but there are some problems in the third phase. Rwanda has special political and economic status and international influence, and the project can be developed into China’s demonstration point on international forestry and bamboo industry, so as to improve China’s international voice and promote friendly cooperation between China and Rwanda. 2016 is an important year for the bilateral friendliness between China and Rwanda, and the project should make great contribution to bilateral relations between China and Rwanda. Under the new situation, how to sum up the experience and shortcomings of the project and further improve Rwanda bamboo project is a problem to be solved as soon as possible.

6 Recommendations

6.1Adoptingmeasuressuitinglocalconditionstopromotelocalsocio-economicdevelopmentThrough further survey and research, it is necessary to develop product training and production programs in accordance with local needs in Rwanda. At the same time, it is necessary to understand the experience and lessons about the operation of project of Chinese-funded institutions in Rwanda in order to avoid detours.

6.2Buildingmarket-orientedwholeindustrychainBased on Rwanda’s national conditions and bamboo situation, it is necessary to rely on technology, focus on sample production and technology training, strengthen the application in tea, coffee, seedling industry, take embassies, industrial parks, supermarkets and furniture markets as the market demonstration points, use embassy exhibition and related trade fairs as the carrier, take Chinese and Rwandan companies as the platform, use the Ministry of Land and Resources and agricultural association as a link to carry out technical training, sample production, marketing, and give full play to the advantages of bamboo to produce good social and economic benefits.

6.3GivingfullplaytotheinitiativeandcreativelycarryingoutworkIn face of a lot of resistance and problems in the Rwandanproject, it is necessary to increase the enthusiasm for working, employ adaptable and efficient strategy and use flexible ways of working to overcome difficulty and achieve good results.

6.4PractisingstricteconomyandpromotinghardworkingUnder the poverty-stricken conditions in Rwanda base, it is necessary to use our own hands to solve the housing, warehouse and workplace issues. There is a need to promote the smooth implementation of Bamboo Planting, Processing and Utilization Project for Rwanda, help Rwanda and the entire Eastern African region to achieve sustainable use of forest resources, improve local employment, provide a new path of development for China’s forestry to "go out", and further strengthen the traditional friendship between China and Africa.

[1] HE WP. The all-round upgrading of Sino-African cooperation [J]. China Today，2014(6): 38-41. (in Chinese).

[2] DING HM. General situation of wood resource of main forestry countries in Africa [J]. Journal of Hebei Agricultural Sciences，2010，14(2):88-90. (in Chinese).