Bamboo is one of Mother Nature’s super products. It grows quickly and can be used in a wide range of building and consumer products. It has the potential to be a sustainable and lucrative cash crop for small-hold farmers in Africa. The challenge is getting finished bamboo products to markets in Europe and North America.
African Bamboo, an Ethiopian agribusiness, is taking a big step towards becoming a major manufacturer of bamboo floorboards. The company recently signed a grant award from the Agriculture Fast Track (AFT) Fund, a facility established by Resonance at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and funded by the US government, Sida, and Denmark. Resonance identified African Bamboo as a high impact investing opportunity for AFT support. With AFT funding, African Bamboo will conduct the market and feasibility studies needed to enter the US and EU markets. It is estimated that more than 2,000 small-hold farmers will benefit through increased incomes resulting from African Bamboo’s growing exports.
According to Steve Schmida, “When Resonance researched the company and met with the management, we saw tremendous potential, both as a growth enterprise and as a means for bolstering rural incomes in Ethiopia. We look forward to seeing the company break into the lucrative EU and North American markets.”
*Originally published in 2014, updated for best practices in 2026*
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