Ethiopia aspires to develop the bamboo industry through technology, research, and training partnering with China’s Nanjing Forestry University last week. Officials at the Ethiopian Forestry Development said that the industry remains underdeveloped considering the large resources available with 1.47 million hectares of bamboo forest. Average exports of bamboo products only accounted for 0.02pc of global exports, proving that the country has not used it even to its minimal potential. According to the Bamboo World Map report, the lack of skills in bamboo management and the absence of technologies to increase lifespan and upgrade the production chain has made the country incur a low economic return. China’s bamboo forest area and accumulation are among the leading in the world. It has more than 6.67 million hectares of bamboo forests with an annual output value of the industry projected to exceed 110 billion dollars in 2025.