25 February 2009, Beijing Citibank (China) Co., Ltd (“Citi China and the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (“INBAR, together with the Sichuan Forestry Department and Sichuan Lin He Yi Bamboo Industry Co., Ltd (“Lin He Yi, today announced the launch of a new “Sustainable Bamboo Enterprise Programin Sichuan Province.
The program is the first of its kind and is designed to help rebuild livelihoods by promoting bamboo-based employment opportunities for families affected by the earthquake, while supporting the development of the local bamboo sector. The project will serve as a model for replication, not only in the most severely affected areas by the earthquake, but also in other areas where bamboo resources are locally available and there is a need to improve livelihoods.
Mr. Andrew Au, CEO of Citi China, said “We are delighted to be launching this innovative new initiative that directly supports some of the areas hardest hit by last year’s earthquake, while promoting environmental sustainability. China remains one of Citi’s top priority markets, and the Sustainable Bamboo Enterprise Program in Sichuan is a reflection of our strong commitment to making a positive and meaningful contribution to the greater community, as we build our own business here over the long term
The program, made possible by a Citi Foundation grant to INBAR, will see the establishment of a Bamboo Training Centre in Dujiangyan County that will provide bamboo resource management training to at least 500 low-income adults from Beichuan, Anxian and three other earthquake-affected counties. The program will also create two Bamboo Processing Sites (BPS) that will transfer bamboo-processing technology to local farmers, provide direct employment to approximately 30 people and act as a prototype sustainable enterprise. Lin He Yi, a Chengdu-based company that produces bamboo furniture and housing, will purchase semi-processed products made by the BPS at a competitive market price.
Dr. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General of INBAR said, “We are very pleased to partner with Citi to launch this groundbreaking new venture. Bamboo is a unique resource it’s a renewable source of wood, is easy to process and can be made into a vast range of products, each tapping into different market segments. It is abundant in Sichuan, including the earthquake-affected areas, and offers considerable opportunities for establishing sustainable micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The project will demonstrate its long-term potential to help some of those most adversely affected by the earthquake, and will, we hope, provide a model for post natural-disaster rehabilitation and recovery the world over
Mr. Zhao Chen, Director of the Science and Technology division of Sichuan Forestry Department said “Small and medium sized bamboo enterprises like this one will help promote local employment within the villages, this is one of the key tasks of Sichuan Province
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