The Bamboo and Rattan Sectors in Asia: an Analysis of ... - INBAR

that would be useful and applicable across several regions and countries (that is,
the research should have "regional relevance"). Strategically, the socio-economic
research needed to take a holistic approach, considering the technical issues alongside
the social and economical issues. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, the
research needed to be pragmatic in its approach, to lead to practical results and
recommendations.
INBAR's Socio-Economics Working Group (SEWG) proposed two principal thrusts
for the Socio-economic Research Program work that could be accomplished initially.
First, five "Bamboo and Rattan Database Studies" for collating existing quantitative
socio-economic data in key countries, including production and trade statistics, were
done. These were small studies intended primarily to review secondary literature,
including the grey literature, and collate information available from different sources
into a rational system for further work. These studies found many inconsistencies in
the available data in terms of definitions of categories and units of measurement.
They also brought to light a lack of standard grading and classification systems for
bamboo and rattan raw materials and products, incomplete and out-of-date inventory
data, large gaps in time series and lack of data on the people involved in the sector.
These weaknesses were compounded by the widely prevalent under-reporting of
production and consumption data, especially regarding the large volume of material
traded in informal markets.
The second thrust proposed for the Socio-economic Research Program was a
series of studies by national program researchers. The studies were designed to satisfy
two principal objectives: (1) to identify constraints and opportunities for sustainable
development within particular bamboo and rattan production-to-consumption systems,
and to recommend appropriate interventions; and (2) to provide a basis for eliciting
more general lessons applicable to the bamboo and rattan sectors in particular and to
NTFPs in general. A common conceptual framework was developed and used in all
these studies. A systems approach was used, considering everything from the
production of the raw material through to the final market. Each transformation
point was studied with reference to the stakeholders involved, the functions performed,
and the vertical and horizontal market linkages. The policy environment and other
factors that influence stakeholder decision-making were also considered where
possible.
This Production-to-Consumption Systems (PCS) approach also recognized that
the intensity of management defined as capital and labor inputs per unit of land is
a critical factor in managing biological resources, especially those harvested from the
"wild". Hence, individual studies were selected to represent a range of intensities of
raw material production and processing.
The PCS studies gave a clear indication of the high importance of bamboo and
rattan in terms of subsistence use, ecological and economic benefits as integral
components of farming systems, and on-farm and off-farm employment and income
generation. Some of the more developed systems demonstrated the high potential for
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