This project aims at strengthening bilateral cooperation in Science and Technology between Brazil and China, for the development of the bamboo production chain in the Brazilian territory, through activities stipulated by the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Brazilian and Chinese governments in April 2011, for the purpose to intensifying the sharing of scientific knowledge and technologies between Brazilian and Chinese research institutions and the exchange of technological information with other countries that stand out in the cultivation and use of bamboo, in favor of the consolidation of this market in the Brazilian territory.
In the Amazon Southwest, there are forests where bamboo trees prevail, including timber species that can reach over 30 meters in height and 20 centimeters in diameter, forming the so-called Amazonian "tabocals". Most of this natural reserve is found in the Brazilian state of Acre, but it still is underused due to a lack of familiarity and tradition in using it as raw material. Strengthening scientific cooperation between Brazil and China serves the Brazilian government's interest in generating knowledge and technologies for the management and sustainable use of existing native bamboo reserves in the Amazon region and to make commercial bamboo cropping in the different Amazon states feasible, with a focus on the use of this resource as a job and income alternative for rural families and as factor for local development. On the other hand, the abundant presence of bamboo in the Brazilian territory and its multiple application possibilities, especially in civil construction and the furniture sector, replacing or complementing traditional wood, places Brazil as a potential supplier of processed bamboo for the domestic market and for other countries, including China, considered the top world importer of the raw material.
Since the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding a series of activities has been developed in the scope of the bilateral cooperation, especially the trips for the exchange of technical knowledge, the launch of calls for the establishment of regional bamboo applied technology centers and the publication of the Call No. 66/2013 - MCTI/AÇÃO TRANSVERSAL/CNPq, which focuses on structuring the National Bamboo Research and Development Network. On top of such initiatives, the activities included in this project, such as the visit of Brazilian technicians to the main bamboo production and transformation regions in China, Colombia and Ecuador, the visit of Chinese technicians to Brazil to get to know native bamboo areas, the publication of a book gathering information on bamboo and experiences with the plant, as well as technical events such as workshops and courses, constitute actions that facilitate the process of implementing the National Policy of Incentives to Sustained Bamboo Management and Cultivation (Law 12,484/2011), aimed at consolidating such production chain and inserting Brazil in a promising market for the country. The project is carried out by Embrapa Acre (Rio Branco), Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (Brasília, DF), Embrapa Forestry (Colombo, PR) and the Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC/SP).