January 2025. 

A message from WBO Executive Director, Susanne Lucas

As a New Year arrives, we reflect on the successes of this past year.  We sincerely thank you - our dedicated volunteers, donors, and partners who have brought great things to WBO. Because of you, we've been able to keep our grassroots organization focused on the science to promote the sustainability of bamboo as a nature-based solution to many of our planet’s challenges. 
 
After 20 years of small steps, the World Bamboo Organization is alive and well, with an unparalleled record of global events, dedicated ambassadors, impressive social engagement, supportive partners and an expanded mission statement.

At the same time, the demand (and need) for disseminating legitimate science, while promoting a sustainable industry via networks and in-person events, continues to challenge the abilities of our all-volunteer civic association, the WBO. 

To meet these challenges, we have set up a Steering Committee composed of trusted allies that in some capacity understand our organization and understand what it needs to move to the next step and bring real impact. The aim of this Steering Committee is to facilitate conversations and envision a fully institutionalized World Bamboo Organization. For this to happen, the WBO needs to secure alliances who support a revenue stream to compensate key personnel and make bigger things happen! 

The first order of business was conducting a global survey seeking to identify what the WBO represents to the respondents. This was very insightful, as it also summarized who the respondents are in relation to defining the WBO “global bamboo community”.  In three words, respondents were asked to define the World Bamboo Organization. We are happy with the survey results, summarized in this word cloud diagram, below. 

With the launch of a completely new, re-designed website, created by WBO Ambassador Guillermo Mortera, the WBO is displaying new energy to move a giant step forward. With the success of the 12th World Bamboo Congress in Taiwan in April 2024, the theme of “Next Generation Bamboo” emerged. We fully believe it is also the beginning of the next generation for the World Bamboo Organization as a whole. 

There are some very exciting potentials on our horizon, and we hope these will bring you closer to knowing more about bamboo and introduce you to more people working in the field of bamboo. The new website will continue to expand with further build-out of the Resources section, as well as the BamBook directory. You should take note of the very active opportunities outlined on the Bamboo Agenda (merci to Ambassador Delphine Abadie), found on FB, IG, and LinkedIn!  There truly is so much going on around the subject of bamboo, all around the planet.

WHERE WILL WE GO IN 2025?

An effort is underway to bring the next World Bamboo Congress to Brazil. It is a very large country with vast bamboo resources, yet little progress has been realized in terms of commercial-ization. The country has huge tracks of degraded lands due to poor land-use, illegal logging and mining. For sure, bamboo can bring improvement as an environmental remedy, as a fiber alternative, food fortifier, biomass for fuel, regenerative building material, and help in job creation, economic recovery and poverty alleviation. Brazil has the capacity to be a leader in bamboo industry in the western hemisphere!

WBO will launch an initiative to stimulate university research in the lead up to COP30, scheduled in Belem in November, 2025, followed by the long awaited WBC in 2026. 

Stay tuned! 

Whatever comes this year, keep your faith in the potentials of bamboo. It makes a difference every day to millions of creatures around the world - as food, as shelter, as inspiration - and the WBO is dedicated to #keepbamboostrong. 

Close your eyes for a moment and see a better world. Now open your eyes and make a pledge of how you will help to make it happen. This NEXT GENERATION is a critical one.

Thank you for continued support!

~ Susanne Lucas, Executive Director WBO