Engaging these people and organizations will boost the influence of CECA, so that it will serve as a bridge and coordination hub in promoting eco-culture.

Over the years, Jiang has been conducting research on the development and utilization of bamboo and rattan resources. She also serves as co-chair of the board of trustees of the INBAR, the first international organization headquartered in China.

Creating prosperity

According to Jiang, bamboo has some exceptional qualities: bamboo forest is fast growing, highly productive and bamboo products are widely used and economically viable. China is one of the largest bamboo producers in the world and was among the first countries to use bamboo. China is especially well endowed with bamboo forest resources and currently has 530 species of bamboo belonging to 34 categories, covering an area of about 4.84 million hectares, which accounts for one fifth of the total area of bamboo forest in the world.

Over the last decade the bamboo industry, including the cultivation, processing and exporting of bamboo or bamboo products, has boosted regional economies in China, increased the income of local farmers, and promoted ecological environmental protection.

Now, about 35 million farmers in China are directly involved in planting bamboo and processing bamboo products. Bamboo products have been used in architecture, furniture making and a number of other areas. There are more than 100 bamboo product lines in China and thousands of types of products, which have been exported to more than 30 countries and regions. In 2006, the product volume of the bamboo industry reached more than 66 billion yuan ($9.7 billion), and the export value reached $1.1 billion. In Zhejiang Province, which boasts a thriving bamboo industry, the gross product of the bamboo industry has quadrupled in eight years, growing from 5.5 billion yuan ($800 million) in 1999 to over 21 billion yuan ($3 billion).

China has more than 30 "bamboo hometowns" that are selected based on a set of quantitative index, including management, bamboo planting, bamboo product processing, economic benefit of the bamboo industry and science and technology. To qualify for "bamboo hometown," a county needs to have more than 51,244.5 hectares of bamboo and process more than 50 percent of the bamboo produced there or more than 30,000 tons of bamboo shoots. More than half of the county's total bamboo-processing enterprises should have an annual production volume above 1 million yuan ($146,412) and more than 10 types of bamboo products in more than two product lines should be produced. In addition, the county also needs to meet specific levels in economic benefits and science and technology.

In addition to selecting "bamboo hometowns," a bi-annual bamboo culture festival is also held in China. So far, five such festivals have been successfully held.

International network

Bamboo and rattan are not only important natural resources, but also a vital economic and culture resource. The bamboo and rattan industry has played a key role in mitigating deforestation, protecting the environment, alleviating poverty and promoting sustainable development.

Bamboo and rattan are so important that a relevant international organization, INBAR, was set up in Beijing on November 6, 1997. In the past decade or more the organization has done lots of work in promoting bamboo and rattan industry and culture, and has served as a platform for friendly exchanges and cooperation between major bamboo-producing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and major bamboo consumers in Europe and America.

As the host country of INBAR, China has actively enhanced bilateral and multilateral cooperation with INBAR's member countries and relevant international organizations and promoted the development of bamboo and rattan industry and culture worldwide.

In the past decade, INBAR's original members have increased from nine into 34 countries, and INBAR has more than 130 international partner organizations. In the organization's development strategy published in 2006, it set a goal to expand its members to 50 countries by 2015, and to set up five demonstration and training centers in developing countries to provide technical support and demonstrate new products.