Breaking Barriers and Creating CapitalSustainable Development with Bamboo in the Konkan Region, Maharashtra, India I.V. Ramanuja Rao, Bhargavi Motukuri, Sanjeev Karpe cibart © 2009 International Network for Bamboo and Rattan & Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technology All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this book are those of the authors and need not necessarily represent those of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) and the Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource & Technology (CIBART). The presentation of materials in this publication and in maps that appear herein does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of INBAR and CIBART concerning the legal status of any country or the delineation of frontiers or boundaries. This publication is based on information and data provided by the Konkan Bamboo and Cane Development Centre (KONBAC). International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) PO Box 100102-86, Beijing 100102, P. R. China Tel: +86-10-6470 6161; Fax: +86-10-6470 2166 Email:
[email protected] Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource & Technology (CIBART) A-408, Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024, India Tel: +91-11-2433 4801/02; Fax: +91-11-2433 4804 E-mail:
[email protected] ISBN: 81-86247-48-3 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital Sustainable Development with Bamboo in the Konkan Region, Maharashtra, India I.V. Ramanuja Rao Bhargavi Motukuri Sanjeev Karpe cibart Acknowledgements The work on which this publication is based was made possible by the following staff of KONBAC and several individuals from the community. Varma Mr Vibhakar Kelkar Mr Himanshu Tulpule Mr Kanwarjit Nagi Mr Milind Thakur Mr Madan Samant Ms Preetam Dhupkar Mr Uday Varavadekar Ms Shrutika Bhawkar Mr Rahul Pendurkar Mr Prashant Karane Mr Rohan Desai Mr Ketan Tendulkar Mr Rajan Pawar Mr Chandrakant Sahil Mr Dilip Sawant Mr Rajan Bobhate Mr Rajesh Masurkar Ms Aruna Telli Mr Pravin Teli Mr Mahesh Rane Ms Snehalata Malvankar Mr Subrato Sarkar Mr Ulhas Talwar Mr Shankar Ghare Mr Sanjay Deb Barma Mr Nilesh Dhuri Mr Sudan Rudrapal Mr Satesh Haldankar Mr Sham Mestri Mr Anand Dalvi Mr Dipu Deb Barma Mr Gajendra Sawant The considerable support of Mr Arun Kumar. Mr Mohan Hodawdekar Mr George Joel Mr Vikas Bendke Mr Manohar Sapre Dr Sanjay Deshmukh Dr Anand Tendulkar Mr Shilpesh Gambhire Mr R.S. . Rathna is gratefully acknowledged. Mr Oliver Frith and Ms K. Acronyms ARS BPL CFC CIBART DC(H) DRDA DUDA FWWB IFAD INBAR INR IIT ISO JSS KONBAC KONIM MITCON MTDC MSME NABARD NBM NGO NID NMBA OBC PPP SC ST SHGs TRIBAC UBFDB UNDP USD : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Action Research Site Below poverty line Common Facility Centre Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technology Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) District Rural Development Agency District Urban Development Agency Friends of Women’s World Banking International Fund for Agricultural Development International Network for Bamboo and Rattan Indian Rupee Indian Institute of Technology International Organization for Standardization Jan Shikshan Sansthan Konkan Bamboo and Cane Development Centre Konkan Nisarg Manch Maharashtra Industrial & Technical Development Organization Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development National Bamboo Mission Non-government organization National Institute of Design National Mission on Bamboo Applications Other backward classes Public-Private Partnerships Scheduled castes Scheduled tribes Self-help groups Tripura Bamboo and Cane Development Centre Uttaranchal Bamboo and Fibre Development Board United Nations Development Programme United States Dollar Currency exchange rate used in this document: USD 1 = INR 45 . contents Acknowledgements Acronyms Summary I. Craft Enterprise Unit VI. Sanitary Napkins Enterprise Unit IX. Setting the Stage Human and Social Capital Development 3 4 7 11 19 29 35 41 47 51 57 59 63 III. Construction Enterprise Unit VIII. II. Taking Stock and the Way Ahead . Packaging Enterprise Unit VII. Financial Capital Development X. Natural Capital Development IV. Furniture Enterprise Unit V. . the ARS had raised awareness of an additional 3. management and its use. The work done by KONBAC.783 (2. to produce more than 150. was set up by INBAR in partnership with CIBART. The Konkan ARS now links 130 villages and 3. a processing centre. caste prejudices and low market demand. These ranged from short-term to long-term programmes for imparting basic skills.638 women and 145 men) and with support from NBM. Resource and input supply chains linking growers to processers. a dedicated NGO for this purpose.000 households. with support from DRDA and other institutions. In 2007. Capacity development: Training programmes with different reach and depth were developed. with close to 50. Kudal. a preservation unit. and value chains linking rural processers and rural enterprises to markets were developed. The technical knowledge needed to produce bamboo plants was provided to the nursery. male urban migration. with increasing representation from across the caste system. linkages were also established with one of the largest private nurseries in the state. This publication describes how the initiatives at the Konkan Action Research Site (ARS) first seeded and then nurtured growth. packaging. CIBART and INBAR resulted in the following key achievements: • Institutional ecosystem development: Starting with the establishment of KONBAC. India. furniture. By 2008. ensuring that bamboo farmers are able to supply raw materials directly to ARS 7 • • Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . with changing perceptions. KONBAC has also developed a bamboo supply chain. INBAR and local partners have promoted development of bamboo plantations and homesteads. Training and awareness programmes have also been undertaken on bamboo propagation. Shailesh Nursery in Kohlapur district. such as dependence on rain-fed agriculture. Sindhudurg district. the number of participants on training courses has risen significantly over 2005. construction and sanitary pads. It analyses how the strategies have resulted in quantitatively and qualitatively enhanced rural livelihoods.200 individuals. skills upgrading and raising awareness. cross-cutting social and economic challenges. Significantly. A total of 217. the supporting institutional ecosystem needed for sustained and viable economic activity was incrementally built up with nursery linkages. an action research-based development programme using local bamboos for benefitting poor rural communities in the Konkan Division in Maharashtra State. and enterprise units for crafts. the ARS had trained 2. Resource enhancement: Through the ARS programme.summAry In 2003.500 plants were produced between 2005 and 2008.000 plants per year. while addressing local.000 bamboo plants and planting material made available by Social Forestry Department. high-value markets.1 Over 467 women have been provided with opportunities to diversify into higher value-added roles in furniture.000 (USD 66. such as paddy. which enables them to earn a stable income. ARS beneficiaries have depended heavily on rain-fed crops. These crops provide unstable returns and limited working opportunities throughout the year. the ARS has been able to generate commercial sales of USD 308. crafts. Because of the interventions.70) if part- • 1 According to the 2001 census. handicrafts and construction.000 over four years. and INR 500-750 (USD 11. these women are able to work from home. Many of them have also increased their individual incomes. Income generation: The average monthly income of women and men beneficiaries was INR 3. Vani (traders) and Gabit (fisherfolk) – are now working together in the local bamboo sector. who make up two-thirds of the working population due to male urban migration to the cities. The ARS programme has altered social perceptions of bamboo by demonstrating its economic potential in new. All of them are KONBAC trainees. with 89 percent relying on agriculture 8 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . Furthermore.10–16. handicraft and construction units.000 households out of the 15.work units and community enterprises at fair prices. construction and sanitary pads production. many members of the Mahar caste were dissuading their children from learning bamboo processing and weaving skills owing to the low caste association of bamboo and declining income of traditional bamboo products due to emergence of lowerpriced substitutes. This has been achieved through promotion of off-farm bamboo sectors. At least one member each from 3. while working in safer work environs.000 poor and socially backward bamboo artisan households has attended an awareness raising or training workshop. as well as members of other castes – such as Sutar (carpenters). through the development of furniture. Traditionally. 467 of them are for women and 205 are for men. However. Significantly. In addition.70) if full-time. 12. large numbers of Mahar community. with opportunities to access high-value urban markets in nearby Mumbai and Goa. mat-weaving. Traditionally. • Access to new markets: The ARS has provided rural communities. • Removal of caste barriers: The ARS has played a major role in lowering local caste barriers. Horticulture crops like cashew and mango are easily affected by abnormal weather. tend to children and take care of other farm work while expanding their social networks. bamboo artisanship was solely an occupation of the Mahar caste which is classified by government as a scheduled caste. who account for almost 90 percent of the population in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts and often live below the poverty line. some higher caste Maratha and Brahmin members are also engaging in the sector. • Empowerment of women: The ARS has empowered local women.7 million women work in the region. • Employment generation and enhancement: The Konkan ARS has generated over 672 new rural livelihoods. given that bamboo product production and sale are their traditional livelihoods. such as furniture-making. or as part of KONBAC work units. issues of gender and the empowerment of local women are addressed. which have a majority of men. In contrast. Many of them were first-time earners. offers a vital alternative source of year-round income. In Chapter I. this publication narrates how the ARS programme has accomplished the above and improved the lives of the rural poor. The majority of rural residents in the Konkan depend on a single. the generation of employment and income-earning opportunities for women has played a major role in the ARS programme. However. A few full-time workers could earn INR 4. Konkan has rich bamboo resources. the ARS has played a prominent role in raising awareness among government. To promote such changes. the Konkan ARS has helped reduce urban migration among male youth which. banks and private enterprise about the economic and poverty alleviation potential of the bamboo sector. The programme has incrementally changed social perceptions of bamboo as a low-cost material. the need for development intervention.000 ha of bamboo available in Sindhudurg district alone. This leads to seasonal migration of males. KONBAC has provided year-round employment to 189 men who might have otherwise migrated. which can be harvested throughout the year and is used in a number of off-farm industries. except in the furniture unit where the full-time income was INR 3.80).90). rain-fed. the local/regional context. interventions in natural capital development are analysed. government agencies such as NMBA and NBM now view the Konkan ARS as a centre for innovation and work intensively with KONBAC on a range of public training and commercial activities.500 (USD 77. this resource base was poorly Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 9 . Given that women comprise twothirds of the district’s resident population (since the men migrate out to the cities). Finally. This poverty is compounded by erratic monsoon seasons and unstable agricultural markets for traditional products. and lack of year-round employment opportunities is a major cause of poverty. and the logic for a bamboo-based approach are explained. Background history on the institutional context and how and why the ARS institutional eco-system was established are explained. For example. Lavasa is employing local community members who had been trained by KONBAC in bamboo-based construction and furniture work. with 14. through establishment of construction and furniture units. In Chapter III. due to the current option of only seasonal employment in agriculture. For example. This will highlight the importance of developing a system that is driven by local demand and markets. emphasizing on the use of eco-friendly methods and materials. Chapter II covers the human and social capital development of the Konkan ARS. Furthermore. which is establishing India’s largest hill city.000 (USD 88. Increased institutional linkages: In addition to direct impacts on the local communities. before the ARS programme was established. short agriculture season. the ARS programme has relied significantly on training and capacity building courses for local beneficiaries. the ARS has set up a PPP with the Lavasa Corporation. • Reduced male urban migration: By promoting higher-value bamboo industries and the demonstration of a steady and growing market demand. • Through ten chapters.time. is very high. bamboo. 5 percent urban jobs. It is telling that Konkan women clearly prefer home micro-enterprises (of the 585 women and men who set up business. Women are thus not setting up enterprises to the same extent as men but prefer home businesses. At present. In this chapter. The furniture unit generated a majority of 66. financial capital development is assessed.9 percent for women. a surprising result was that the construction unit generated a nearly equal benefit with 90. which works out to a conversion rate of 96. the Konkan ARS has made considerable progress in developing into a self-sustaining institutional system.1 percent are self-employed in household micro-enterprises in the villages.5 percent compared to 6. Given that there are a much higher number of people employed in rural areas. which is a pilot demonstration. With the exception of the sanitary napkin unit. It would be interesting to compare bamboo construction with conventional construction methods in terms of rural benefit.9 percent are in urban KONBAC enterprise units whereas 87. Each chapter analyses how one of these units are helping to promote uptake of bamboobased livelihoods and community enterprises. 12. A study to understand and mitigate/overcome possible barriers to entrepreneurship by rural women might help in understanding the underlying causes better and in equaling the ratios of success.1 percent urban jobs.8 percent urban jobs.0 percent rural jobs to 9. craft.7 percent in rural areas and 45. in India and abroad. This means that one average urban job in the units in Kudal town is generating 6. packaging. efforts made to improve bamboo stocks and biodiversity. 10 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . 140 men and 445 women got into business. all of these make commercial sales.7 rural jobs in the villages. are described.9% of men). the overall rural-urban income distribution is more balanced with 54. For home micro-enterprises. In Chapter IX.6 percent for men and 16.managed and utilized. which was unexpected. Of the 672 new livelihoods generated. the net earnings of a person working in rural areas is thus much lower than that of an urban employed person.2 percent rural jobs as compared to 33. The Konkan ARS. of the men and women trained. In comparison to employment. Chapters IV-VIII examine in more detail the furniture. It is likely to have significant relevance for development in other places where bamboo and poor rural people co-exist. 76. CIBART and KONBAC. as well as bamboo supply chains and payment for farmers. is a showcase development model of how a sustainable and viable economic system using local bamboo and human resources can be developed. Current financial needs and future solutions for these needs are reviewed. While the number of rural jobs in crafts was 93. which is a partnership of INBAR.1% are women as compared to 23. These units provide community members with access to training and equipment. construction and sanitary napkin enterprise units established under the ARS.3 percent in urban areas. This might be due to the logic of women+home+children. social or other causes that needs further study. The final Chapter X provides insights into potential future research and impacts of the programme. I. settIng the stAge . 000 population living in rural areas. Despite being on the Goa–Mumbai axis comprising a key tourist centre and the commercial capital of India. India The Konkan division is one of the six divisions in Maharashtra. Kolhapur.746 sq. encompassing the narrow coastal lowland.5 percent in Ratnagiri (Table 1) living below the poverty line. with 51. More recently. India. It lies between the Arabian Sea and the Sahyadri mountain range of the Western Ghats. Ratnagiri comes a close second with 88 percent of people being rural. activities have been extended to Kolhapur district of Pune division and the adjacent state of Goa. comprising an area of 30. An important reason for this is that the Konkan division is predominantly rural and the 12 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . which abuts Sindhudurg. is centred in the Sindhudurg district of the Konkan division.Target Region and Project Area The Konkan Action Research Site (ARS). Maharashtra. Figure 1: The Konkan Division. the ARS has come to include parts of the neighbouring Ratnagiri district too. which was set up in 2004 by the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR). Over time. which is barely 60 km wide and 600 km long (Figure 1).2 percent in Sindhudurg and 32. km and a population of about 25 million (2001). is relatively urbanized with 70 percent of its population living in rural areas. there is significant poverty in the Konkan division. Sindhudurg is mostly rural with roughly 90 percent of its 868. 7 million women working in the rural areas of Konkan.230 0. These women work predominantly as marginal labourers to supplement family incomes.00) Owing to seasonal agricultural patterns.economy is largely agro-based. who make up about two-thirds of the labour force in rural Konkan. temperatures go down to 17ºC.832 (USD 374. leaving the rural population vulnerable to fluctuating incomes. During the succeeding autumn and light winter. of households No.400 INR16. Agriculture is heavily dependent on monsoon rains over four months (June-September).553 0.825 192.709 8. with 41 percent as cultivators and 48 percent as agricultural labour. A small number of women work in household industries and other non-farm occupations. 2 3 Figure 2: Kudal: KONBAC Headquarters Data based on Planning Commission Report on 10th Five Year Plan and Census 2001 Government of Maharashtra (2002) Human Development Report for Maharashtra 2002 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 13 .725 8. km) Per capita income (value 2003-04) Operational Districts2 Ratnagiri 9 1.6 868.349 71. Most cultivators are smallholders.326 67 INR 14. An estimated 160 days of seasonal employment are available in the region with the paddy production and mango crop being harvested once annually.696 5.64 3.3 million (89 percent) were employed in agriculture. of families below poverty line Geographical area (sq.207 910 INR 15.53) Sindhudurg 8 752 0. This results in leaving behind the women.162 712. of the 12. Table 1: Some key indicators Particulars No.523. of Blocks No.777 377. Therefore.200 1. of villages HDI 20003 Population as per 2001 census No.366 122. According to the 2001 Census. about two-thirds of the year are not conducive to agriculture. earning during the fallow season to supplement income is important. most men work as seasonal migrant labour in Mumbai and other industrial areas.666 98.812 (USD 351. km) Forest area (sq.44 1. The area is rather dry in the hot summer that precedes the rains with temperatures soaring up to 34ºC.696. Therefore.40) Kolhapur 12 1. 11.064 (USD 312. Many of the bamboo crafts reflect the close. which provides employment to 23 million in India.8 14 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . stringing and pinning to create products for a thousand applications. and for handicrafts. The development of bamboo-based craft and industry requires relatively low capital. It is woody. Benefits of bamboo can be capitalized upon to promote poverty alleviation through creating self or wage employment. energy. raw material. bamboo is used as food (shoots and seeds) and for paper manufacture. Most of them comprise the marginalized social classes. which is the bamboo most in demand. Growing bamboo in homesteads is a tradition with nearly 60 percent of farmers having a minimum of 5 to 10 clumps of O. As bamboo production includes multiple phases of management and processing. splitting. At present. housing and household utilitarian and agricultural implements. tools and machinery investments in comparison with other handicraft activities. Bambusa bambos and Dendrocalamus strictus. Bamboo has a strong relationship with rural communities.4 who make up about 2. Unlike wood. flooring and housing to infrastructure. Processing slivers into products such as incense sticks. Bamboo is a versatile material and has the advantage of creating large-scale employment in rural areas. such as for fencing and vertical supports of temporary structures. This is largely used for roofing of temporary sheds for storage on the farm. cultural. relationship of bamboo. Because of this. fast-growing and yields annually. social and ecological issues in bamboo development through sustainable approaches.000 bamboo artisan families in Konkan region. increasing income and protecting the environment.3 percent of the population in the region – 1. interlacing (“weaving”). people and culture. winding. Rural communities employ bamboo extensively for their day-to-day uses like fencing.Bamboo as an entry point for development The region has fairly dense patches of bamboos such as Oxytenanthera stocksii. Ingenious skills revolve around slivering. ranging from furniture. stands as the second largest source of employment after agriculture. Bamboo is available both in forests and homesteads in the Konkan region. They constitute an estimated 15. the traditional artisans – mainly the Mahar community (Burud in other regions) who are in Sindhudurg and surrounding districts are well versed in primary processing of bamboo poles and producing interlaced (“woven”) articles. O. allowing them to participate in a larger proportion of value addition compared with other resources and industrial processes. layering. A significant part of it is bamboobased. it can be easily split and slivered with hand tools. it is possible to address economic. stocksii. making utility items like baskets. mats and crafts is relatively simple. almost mystic. In Konkan region. Bamboo lends itself easily to processing.5 to 13. B. By nature. it provides livelihood options in various areas to a larger number of rural workers. Bamboo has the ability to replace wood in many applications. bamboo processing activities are labour-intensive. bambos is grown in small quantity with limited uses. inserting. The availability of bamboo offers many opportunities to address rural poverty in the Konkan and surrounding regions. monostigma. Furthermore. namely the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). stitching. Bamboo is a unique natural resource. The handicrafts sector. respectively. These lists. The widespread use of plastic material. with modifications. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 15 . bamboo artisanal skills are no longer being passed down to younger Mahar generations. social and economic growth. Many have switched to working in farms as labourers. the Mahars – traditional bambooworking community – was forced to take up new occupations alongside their traditional occupation. the Government of India Act of 1935 prepared two lists (schedules) of these communities. from the seasonal employment of up to 160 days per year. Since working with bamboo is also an indicator of low caste.0 percent in Kolhapur. The traditional bamboo working communities of the Konkan region cater to the local market and produce a set of traditional utilitarian products which have not changed for long.5 percent in Sindhudurg. lacking opportunities for educational.4 percent and 13.percent and 0. which is inadequate to provide for the entire year. especially Scheduled castes. These communities. many Mahar artisans have given up this profession altogether to be rid of the stigma attached to it. As neither the Mahar elders nor the children see any value in their traditional artisan knowledge and skills. However. As a result. were relegated to menial labour with no possibility of upward mobility. Figure 3: Traditional bamboo weaving community members processing bamboo 4 ‘Scheduled Castes’ are indigenous Indian communities who were excluded from the caste system – the social superstructure of Hindu (even Indian) society. 5. were later appended to the Indian Constitution. A strong perception had been built up that bamboo could not be converted into products that have adequate demand and remunerative value in markets.9 percent in Ratnagiri. and 26.1 percent and 0. farm labour provides only a meagre income. colourful and durable. More than 90 percent of the Mahars do not own agricultural land and hence have to earn their food (received as part-payment for farm labour) and income from farm labour. which is cheaper. To remedy this. had reduced the use of bamboo products and thereby their demand. and accorded preferential treatment for raising their socio-economic status. a survey of available bamboo resources was undertaken. while generating strategies and 16 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . The other attraction of bamboo to farmers was that it was a “plant-once-and-forget” resource. mainly traders. kokam (Garcinia indica) and medicinal plants. On the one hand. with a focus on local resources such as bamboo. Other challenges were to create forward linkages into the market. INBAR undertook a consultancy supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Ministry of Micro. since it was regarded as a product produced only by the scheduled caste Mahar/Burud communities and therefore an identifier of such castes (which constitute about 2.Need for Development Intervention Before INBAR’s intervention in Konkan. which will help in furthering employment and income generation. INBAR knew that the income generating and employment opportunities possible with bamboo in the region are considerable. In addition. on the potential for housing development using bamboo. those not belonging to the bamboo artisanal castes would not even want to be seen working with bamboo. However. INBAR applied to the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for funding that could be deployed to make a difference in the region. quality and cost-effectiveness was another imperative. would cut and transport the bamboo themselves. farmers stated to the INBAR team that growing bamboo gave higher economic returns than mango (an export item). coconut or rice. attempts had been made to develop the local bamboo sector. on the other hand. besides the backward linkages into the communities. Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). KONIM approached the National Institute of Design (NID) to develop bamboobased packaging for mangoes. A book on investment opportunities in bamboo was published and circulated among leading industrialists interested in the region. The “low caste” association of bamboo was so strong in the minds of people that there was danger it could limit wider adoption of bamboo-based employment. Technology upgrading and modernization to improve productivity. Dehradun. The farmers were thus eager to plant bamboo and asked INBAR to assist in making available planting material that they were ready to buy. During discussions. There was another and possibly more serious challenge. there were no investors in the bamboo sector. With the support of the Forest Research Institute (FRI). was needed. the bamboo community itself was writing off its traditional profession and not passing down its bamboo-working skills to the younger generations. technical facilities and marketing support.5 to 13. Farmers did not even have to cut the bamboo since interested parties. the development of institutional support facilities – such as vocational programmes. a principal crop of the region.3 percent of the population in the project area). and this gave INBAR its first introduction to the region. Despite these efforts. which did not need constant attention to produce poles annually. In 2000. a local NGO called Kokan Nisarga Manch (KONIM) was set up by a group of concerned professionals interested in the development of the Konkan region. One of the sites studied was the Konkan. there was the prevalence of a traditional bamboo working community in the Konkan and their bamboo processing skills were strong. Government of India. In the same year. Traditionally. the prototype did not meet with the technical and performance criteria of the mango industry. however. In 2001-2002. a grant of USD 100. This was made possible through the technical and policy support of INBAR. while another part can come from professionals who bring technical. social and other expertise. which is another daughter organization of CIBART. since individual membership would bar the deriving of income in a Section 25 company. technical institutions and banks. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 17 . promoting institutional innovations. expand its use by others by trying to overcome the caste and social prejudices.5 INBAR’s partner in India. In June 2004. in March 2004. with an emphasis on establishing infrastructure needed for concerted bamboo-based economic activities. The findings that were presented to a stakeholder group pointed out: (a) the strong low caste association of bamboo as the main obstacle to bamboo development. (b) limited supply of treated and graded bamboo in the market. which can be changed over time. is fully owned by CIBART. INBAR agreed to support a project. communities. Initially. This was agreed to and thus INBAR initiated the Konkan ARS with the aim of addressing these shortcomings. 1956. KONBAC.6 The company format was chosen. CIBART established a non-profit NGO. A one acre plot of land was leased for future development. and devolution will be undertaken when the organization is free of debt. as it allows for proportional ownership among different stakeholders. The role of KONBAC was to take forward the ARS programme in the Konkan division and utilize the available bamboo resources to help bamboo working communities derive greater economic returns from bamboo. INBAR provided USD 10. and (f) lack of a supporting technically capable institutional set-up. (c) non-availability of trained workforce. Following discussions. and generate employment and income through the setting up of bamboo-based enterprises. The aim is to transfer majority ownership to institutionalized community groups or federations of self-help groups (SHGs). part of the ownership can come from the community. The structure allows for inputs from multiple actors.000 as seed funding for the ARS from IFAD grant funds to the Centre for Indian Bamboo Resource and Technology (CIBART).knowledge that could be applied elsewhere. as per the Indian Companies Act. KONBAC was established as a not-for-profit Section 25 company. at present. 5 6 CIBART is a national-level technical NGO and INBAR’s partner organization whose establishment was facilitated by INBAR Under Indian Companies Act. provided there was corresponding investment from other sources. the Konkan Bamboo and Cane Development Centre (KONBAC) dedicated to bamboo and cane development in the Konkan region. The CFC became operational in January 2005. Coincidentally. In June 2004. INBAR was invited back to the region by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to help initiate development activities in the region using bamboo as the main resource. (e) the need for developing and designing new products that would cater to the market needs. The aim is to incrementally devolve ownership to the community while retaining part of it with CIBART. Government of India. government departments. Discussions were held with local NGOs. Such devolution has been done in Tripura Bamboo and Cane Development Centre (TRIBAC). (d) lack of processing facilities. For example.000 for a Common Facility Centre (CFC) was sanctioned to CIBART by the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts [DC(H)] of the Ministry of Textiles. were physically separated into enterprise unit.000 funding for a Common Facility Centre (CFC) for bamboo processing for the communities in the Konkan. An R&D and technology development centre is being set up to support the enterprise units. CIBART. it has institutional linkages to its parent body. NATIVE Konbac Bamboo Products Pvt. The success of the Konkan ARS has happened because such a supporting institutional ecosystem was developed. and leverage the CIBART and INBAR brands and goodwill. at the national level and through it to INBAR at the international level. INBAR and CIBART have also provided considerable in-kind support in terms of making available the time and input of their staff including supporting their travel to the Konkan ARS. which as they grew. For example. Several product units were set up. This enables KONBAC to access technical and policy support at different levels. 18 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . Ltd. Thus. It is noteworthy that while KONBAC is a local NGO at the district level. and policy support from INBAR and institutional support from CIBART. the INBAR intervention through ARS helped in setting up the basic institutional support and leveraging some government-level support required to kick-start bamboobased development in the Konkan region. the CFC was set up in Kudal and is being operated by KONBAC.Building an Institutional Ecosystem to Support Development To obtain economic success. several institutions and systems are needed to work in tandem. An important aspect is the early focus on institutional development. INBAR policy support enabled CIBART to secure approval from the DC(H) for about USD 100. as well as the other institutional and support systems being put into place. A social enterprise. has been set up to secure the needed social investment and credit. II. humAn And socIAl cApItAl development . began community training programmes in early 2005. Instilling Interest in Youth KONBAC. The result was that instead of training unemployed youth and young adults (18-35 years old) to work with bamboo for gainful employment as envisaged. were simply not interested in the training opportunities for similar social reasons. DRDA was thus forced to sanction training courses for the elderly to meet its training quotas. In the Konkan. who would not want to be seen working with a material that only low caste communities worked with. Overcoming the caste barrier and the association of caste with bamboo was thus of paramount importance to the Konkan ARS programme if any development using bamboo was to be possible at all. but were very reluctant to send their children for training in bamboo processing since they did not see any future in it. The strategy developed. The elders participated because of their traditional skills in bamboo product making. Hence. initially informally and later formally articulated. In the past. 20 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . People belonging to other castes. which they used as a source of livelihood all through the years. For the first four months. this strategy. The second element in the strategy was to raise the profile of bamboo by improving product designs and positioning bamboo products in high-end markets. The silver lining was that there was no barrier to consumption. their children would be identified by the society as belonging to a lower caste. Initially. KONBAC was unable to find anyone willing to be trained despite getting DRDA-sanctioned programmes to train unemployed youth. the average age of the initial sets of trainees in 2005 was around 60-75 years. along with the community training methodology adopted. this has limited the adoption of bamboo work by other communities. Also. was to first target the bamboo-working castes and incrementally change their declining interest in bamboo. The community participants were selected by DRDA based on an assessment by the government’s extension officer and the village development officer (Gram Sevak). the older participating women asked KONBAC to help secure other jobs for their children. the people were not interested in bamboo and therefore unwilling to participate in bamboo training programmes. is replicable and has scalable implications for other projects that may have similar objectives and contexts. even if poor. the main obstacle is the “low caste” association that bamboo has in the minds of people. The market for traditional bamboo products was on the decline with increasing competition from imported products and plastics. with 421 of the total 502 trainees aged above 50 (Figure 4).Bamboo offers diverse income generating and employment opportunities. The third element was to change the profile (and perceived status) of the production process from being just a home-based handicraft to an industrialized craft production system (which also ensures standardized quality products and helps increase economic returns from the sector). with support from the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). as all castes bought and utilized bamboo products. Importantly. by the very act of working with bamboo. They were willing to learn about improved designs and upgrading their skills. rather than passing on their skills in bamboo weaving to their children and encouraging them to participate in trainings. was brought in and a house leased within a Mahar community hamlet. the situation changed during Diwali. and rather than trying to bring the people to the training courses. the Festival of Lights. The trainer was asked to stay there for four months and make products in full view of the community. Figure 4: Participation of older women in trainings Initially. The trainer was asked to focus on the younger people and get them interested. The new-design lantern was produced in larger numbers by the now-interested communities to meet the demand and sold at record prices of INR 150 (USD 3. but also younger age groups (who were not participating) to see what could be done with bamboo: curiosity might prevail over established reluctance. They understood that the consumers were tired of the usual range of products and are interested in innovative designs even if they are higher priced. While only a few youth came forward initially. India. when the trainer produced an elegantly crafted lantern. the high quality and new diversity of products being made started attracting people. well-designed and well-produced bamboo products. they were interested in individual processes and then whole products.10) for a lantern of traditional design. KONBAC decided to take a trainer to the community and do production in public. some of whom wanted to learn from him. and the members of the community realized that their traditional craft still had a future. In time.Faced with this situation. An expert trainer-artisan. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 21 .30) per piece compared with the prices of around INR 50 (USD 1. The reasoning was that this would enable not only older people (who were participating in training courses). sourced from Orissa. This highlighted the prospect for higher remuneration from new. the number of youth participating in training programmes has shown a steady increase (Figure 5). The combination of “factory” with “jobs” proved very attractive to the rural youth since it added glamour and status to their lives. and it was positioned as a “factory” in which people would have “jobs”. The increasing income benefits and rise in social status of those already employed had a cascading effect. Women constituted the large majority with 2. KONBAC offered them the opportunity to be trained in the CFC. 22 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . In addition. more youth started asking to be trained Figure 5: Age-wise classification of trainees in bamboo processing.638 trainees (Figure 6). from 2006 onwards.783 people have been trained on a range of products and applications to date – from crafts to construction with bamboo. from a situation where it was not able to spend the allotted training funds. A total of 2. The demand for training also went up with a direct impact on DRDA’s training portfolio. As previously mentioned.To further this nascent interest in the youth. DRDA could not find enough trainees to fill the sanctioned training programmes for Sindhudurg district and was forced to take on older people to meet government training targets. The original modality prescribed by the DC(H) to run the CFC as a processing centre with charges paid by users for processing was widened. and with time. Thus. making and marketing products that fetched good earnings. DRDA was able to ensure 100 percent funds utilization. Bamboo offered the possibility of working from their home utilizing the spare time from household activities. The demand for the training is now so high that DRDA is forced to carry over some of the training programmes to the following year. Women in the region were in need of viable offfarm employment opportunities due to rampant migration of men. and DRDA was able to focus on youth (18-35 years old) in the training programmes as per its mandate. The approach and strategy of Figure 6: Total number of women and men trained KONBAC turned the situation around. 1837 (66 percent) were below the poverty line (Table 2). of trainings 24 53 33 17 127 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total 1 6 7 38 8 7 70 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 23 . Of the 127 training courses conducted. Table 2: Training courses undertaken by KONBAC Year Total participants 502 1202 697 382 2783 2 days 5 days 17 6-8 15 days days 2 9 2 4 12 4 25 2021 days 2 5 7 30 60 90 days days days 1 1 2 4 2 2 2 1 7 1 0 3 2 Total no. the situation changed dramatically. Till December 2008. KONBAC has conducted 127 training programmes involving 2.Figure 7: Participation of young women in skill development training Increasing Interest After KONBAC changed its strategy on training.783 individuals and out of this. Each course attracted more than the stipulated number. the majority were short term lasting less than a week and the rest were medium to long term courses lasting up to 1-3 months. which need fewer trained people. Majority of the training courses are in making industrial crafts and cases for packaging. Table 3: Training courses offered and their duration No of days Number of trainees 2 days 5 days 6-8 days 15 days 20 17-35 20 18-27 Skill upgrading Training course Skill upgrading on crafts. furniture making Skill upgrading at an advanced level to a pool of artisans The decline in the number of trainings and the number of people being trained in 2008 (Table 2) despite the continuing demand from those interesting in undergoing training (and the continuing push from the government to undertake trainings) was due to the need to balance this with the creation of employment opportunities in order to sustain the interest of the youth and not get them disillusioned. having a job and the growing “status” of bamboo has started attracting other castes. While KONBAC could employ some in its enterprises. Some individuals from forward castes – Maratha and Brahmin – have also joined in (Figure 8). and on resource regeneration. mango packaging Skill upgrading on crafts. and some trainees started their own production units. mats (for construction). Various castes now work together. bread (roti) basket making and construction Training on bamboo construction. where more trained people are needed due to the larger volumes of production. the attraction of working in a factory. etc. skill 20-21 days 20-22 30 days 60 days 90 days 15-20 15-20 18-20 Training on bamboo craft skill upgrading Training on bamboo furniture making. Overcoming Caste Barriers Interestingly. construction. learning from each other and helping each other. including the OBCs (Other Backward Castes) such as Sutar (carpenters). This can be evidenced from the representation of members from various castes working in KONBAC. including industrial crafts. 24 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . Vani (traders) and Gabit (fisherfolk). mango packaging. mango packaging Training on upgrading bamboo craft. furniture.Community members were trained on making a range of products. being low in production volume though higher in value (Table 3). a number of trainees are still unemployed. Courses are also undertaken in furniture making and construction. at least in work and at the workplace. with five setting up independent enterprises employing 3 to 5 persons under them. However. Furthermore. and thus contributing to building local social capital. Building Local Capacity The building of local trainer capacity has been another major impact of the ARS programme’s capacity building initiatives. with two furniture-making and three crafts-making enterprises. which have a rich culture of bamboo craft and weaving. trainers were hired from the North-Eastern states. 672 trainees are working in their own household micro-enterprises on parttime. thus replacing those sourced from outside the region. KONBAC’s work is helping to break down traditional caste barriers. Table 4: Number of trainers Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total trainers 8 12 12 10 From outside 8 5 2 0 Local 0 7 10 10 KONBAC has absorbed 84 trainees on full-time basis in various units that it operates.Figure 8: Caste representation of people working at KONBAC Thus. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 25 . where caste-based affiliations in vocations are strong and can negatively affect developmental efforts. This has been a breakthrough and is replicable in many developmental efforts in India. the number and the range of agencies coming forward to sponsor training programmes in the Konkan region has been increasing year on year due to the development of local trainers and the popularity of community training course (please see Chapter IX). people trained locally had fine-tuned their skills and become expert trainers. In addition. piece-rate basis. This increase in local capacity has helped the programme upscale its training programmes considerably year on year (Table 4). within three years. At the start of the programme in 2005. Others have separately cashed in on the growing recognition and the brand image of KONBAC. DRDA has sanctioned the maximum number of training programmes. With growing recognition of KONBAC as a technical resource centre.793. An International Enterprise Training Course was organized by INBAR and KONBAC in February 2007 in the Konkan ARS for fourteen participants. Outreach The growing demand for KONBAC’s training programmes has resulted in the expansion of its activities to new regions and communities. including six from East Timor and one from Italy. It conducted 127 training programmes on skills upgrading in bamboo product development. other agencies are requesting it to organize specific training programmes for technical personnel. and bamboo propagation and management.755 (USD 5. KONBAC organized 16 awareness programmes in 16 districts for two days. Support Received for Capacity Building KONBAC has been regularly receiving training grants from a host of organizations since the year 2005 (Table 10). grants received for trainings alone amounted to INR 3. While initially in 2004-2005. which were attended by over 3. artisans and local elected representatives. the training programmes were concentrated in and around Kudal in 18 villages within a range of 8 to 10 kilometres. and nursery development and awareness-raising. 26 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . KONBAC organized a “Whole Culm Bamboo Construction” training course in October 2007 for 10 participants. by 2008 these had extended to over 130 villages at distances of 9095 kilometres from Kudal (Figure 9). The intent behind these programmes was to make community members across the state of Maharashtra aware of the livelihood opportunities possible with bamboo and to instil interest in them to see bamboo as a viable economic opportunity. A progressive trend can be seen in terms of capacity building grants (Table 5).Earlier they were working in KONBAC units and were receiving a remuneration of INR 2.876 (USD 39. This reflects the confidence of various donors in the programme delivery mechanisms and outputs of KONBAC. In terms of value. In 2008. A week-long training programme was conducted for the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) field functionaries on plantation.200 community members.60) per month and now they earn more than double this amount through their independent enterprises. with support from NBM. with 72 of them. The more recent training programmes are being attended by the government officers.000).786. Between 2005 and 2008.708) in 2008 – more than seven times the revenue generated in the first year. farmers. followed by MITCON.300). totalling a grant value of INR 946. NBM had also sent to KONBAC a group of farmers and artisans to be trained for a week on bamboo-based development opportunities. SHG members. Of the total number of trainings.552 (USD 21. The Konkan ARS is thus becoming a knowledge centre for best practices on bamboo resource management and processing. preservation and utilization of bamboo.500 (USD 55.239). which increased to INR 1. awareness programmes on the potential of bamboo. Revenue generated in 2005 was INR 235. NABARD is the second largest donor for trainings.480 (USD 84. Figure 9: Regional expansion of training programmes undertaken Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 27 . KONBAC organized 16 awareness programmes with financial support of INR 1.000 (USD 26. More recently.200. with NBM’s grant support.500) and four programmes for farmers on “Plant Propagation and Management” supported by NBM and four orientation programmes on bamboo for government officials.In 2008. KONBAC has been approached by the private sector to provide training in promoting bamboo-related activities. 000 45. Govt.000 2008 National Agriculture Bank for Development (NABARD) • 114.000 42. Maharastra • Uttranchal Bamboo and Fibre Development Board.000 Joint Forest Management Committee. Kudal. Govt. Goa • 37.000 • 4.500 District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Govt.950 Department of Social Forestry.000 National Bamboo Mission. Maharastra State • . of Maharashtra • Other Backward Class Corporation (OBC) • National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA).755 Maharashtra • Sawantwadi Municipal Council • 60. • National Agriculture Bank for Development (NABARD) • Maharashtra Industrial & Technical Development Organisation (MITCON) • Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) • OBC Corporation • Nagar Panchayat Kankanwali • Jalswarajya • District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Govt. of Maharashtra • National Agriculture Bank for Development (NABARD) • Maharashtra Industrial & Technical Development Organisation (MITCON) • Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) • Department of Forest. Dapoli. DST.684 • 68.000 • 178.162 • 120. of Maharashtra.800 2006 2007 • 362. Goa • 64. (DUDA) • Konkan Nisarg Manch.Table 5: Institutions supporting training programmes by KONBAC Year 2005 Institutions Supporting Training Funds supported (INR) • District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Govt.850 • • • • • • • • 19. Ratnagiri • District Urban Development Agency.080 Agnel Institute. Uttaranchal • • • • • • • • • • • 339.950 74. Sindhudurg • 105.500 Uttranchal Bamboo and Fiber Development Board • 31.000 30.200 20. Sindhudurg.000 1.000 36.951 Maharastra Mineral Foundation.000 • District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Govt.475 168.284.728 25. Govt of Maharashtra • 50.395 Gomukh Trust • 30. of • 68.000 219. of India • Konkan Agriculture University. of • 175.000 Jalswarajya • 500 28 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital .000 • • • • 16. nAturAl cApItAl development .III. which is widely grown and used. especially the districts of Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri. The only option left with the farmer is to do rhizome plantation. It is therefore not suitable for craft products. and has the highest economic value. some with dense clumps and others relatively scattered. stocksii. A survey by FRI has established that over 14. which mostly occurs in forests.Bamboo is common in the Konkan region. The poles are straight without branches at the lower level. KONBAC organized a one-day workshop for the farmers in the region on vegetative propagation by single node method in the first year of operation itself (Figure 10).5 cm) and grow to a medium height (up to 6 m).000 ha of bamboo are available in Sindhudurg district. with the agro-climatic conditions of the Konkan area. In partnership with the social forestry department 30 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . Given this situation. The second most abundant bamboo is Bambusa bambos. the propagule is not only expensive but also heavy. being ideally suited. The main species of bamboo found are Oxytenanthera stocksii. stocksii. Figure 10: Propagation of bamboo through culm cutting The planting material of this species is normally in short supply since its seeds are sterile. KONBAC’s initiatives in the region led to a further increase in demand from farmers for planting material of O. The poles (culms) have a small diameter (up to 5. this involves the digging up of clumps to extract the rhizomes: hence. This is suitable for craft products and for scaffolding purpose. Other bamboos are Oxytenanthera monostigma and Dendrocalamus strictus. the latter is also small in diameter but less preferred in the region than O. This is a large bamboo – up to 12 cm in diameter and up to 20 m tall – but the culm is hard and often crooked. It is sometimes grown as a protective fencing due to its thorny branches. NMBA gave a grant to the nursery for the propagation of bamboos. which is one of the largest in the state. At KONBAC’s initiative. Most of the planting material is taken by the larger farmers who have land. Figure 11: Bamboo nursery development activities promoted by KONBAC Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 31 . Those below the poverty line (BPL) and scheduled caste (SC) families have little or no land. in Malkapur in Kholapur District in 2007 to produce over 150. Other options for securing land for growing bamboo for the landless include possible inter-planting in cashew growing areas and mined areas that need rehabilitation. KONBAC tied up with Shailesh Nursery. but these are mostly under the Forest Department. This issue needs policy intervention if the poor are to benefit from income from growing bamboo. The needed technical knowledge was provided to the nursery for propagating O. in Murud in Raigad district to produce Melocanna baccifera and Thyrsostachys oliveri in large numbers.000 (USD 20.000 plants per year. KONBAC tied up with Hex Agromarine nursery.444) to the Social Forestry Department to produce the planting material in numbers so that farmers could get adequate planting material locally (Figure 11).of the state government. KONBAC has helped produce large numbers of vegetatively propagated planting material from culm cuttings. In 2008. which sees cashew planting as a better option due to the high returns (annual harvest is auctioned). Wastelands are an option. Using such lands would also be environmentally beneficial besides offering economic advantages to the target groups. the National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA) provided INR 920. stocksii. which is wider and longer than the species locally available in the Konkan and is well suited for furniture-making (Figure 12). Sample seeds were distributed to 283 farmers who also saw the rapid development of just two-year old M. which is sold in the market for INR 40. baccifera plants at the workshop. KONBAC introduced another species – Thyrsostachys oliveri. as there is demand for premature bamboo for making crafts.20). With the newly diversified uses of bamboo and expansion beyond craft into products such as furniture and construction uses with bamboo – mature bamboo of 3-4 years of age is needed. the price that a farmer would receive for a bamboo pole was INR 9. which ensures that the farmer gets a better return for their produce 32 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital .After seeing the low-cost handicrafts from Tripura and other parts of North-Eastern India. They do not let it mature.00 (USD 0. KONBAC has taken steps to introduce one of the fastest growing North-Eastern species. The increase in the price is in part due to the strategic policy adopted by KONBAC.00 (USD 0.00 (USD 0. This prompted them to procure the plants for planting. KONBAC procured Melocanna baccifera seeds from the INBAR Action Research Site in Tripura and developed a nursery. Presently.30). In 2005. In 2008. which fetch a higher price. This has resulted in only mature bamboo culms. its management and uses. KONBAC has trained farmers to “read” the age from the condition of the culm.00 (USD 0. Figure 12: Year-wise production of bamboo plants Farmers in the region normally cut the bamboo in the second year of its growth. which was then sold in the market for INR 15. being harvested. which started supplying the planting material to farmers from 2007 onwards.90). In 2007. a farmer receives INR 30. baccifera. When the project started (2005). which are best suited for crafts and furniture.70) per pole. KONBAC organized a workshop for farmers in the region on the techniques of plantation of M. the bamboo is sourced by the communities themselves. there has been a doubling of the price difference between the buying and selling price. The demand for bamboo by KONBAC is itself high. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 33 .400 in 2007 and 24. for its construction and furniture-making activities. with the similar number of poles.80) at present.00 (USD 0. in 2008.000 in 2008.while also maintaining standards in harvesting bamboo (Figure 13). high value addition is taking place through properly treated. About 90 percent of bamboo poles are procured from homestead farmers through middlemen who have been trained in age-reading of bamboo by KONBAC. Earlier bamboos purchased were used mainly in training and no or low value addition happened with respect to crafts. the number of farmers supplying bamboo was at 150 in 2005. However. both farmers and homesteads. The number of poles purchased by KONBAC has been increasing year on year. It is noteworthy that over the past three years. with a pole of 20 feet costing up to INR 35. either from homesteads or sometimes purchased from the local producers. For mat production done at villages. Figure 13: Trend in bamboo poles purchases The CFC prefers to source its bamboo from bamboo growing farmers and homesteads instead of exploring the forest resources for the following reasons: • • • • To encourage farmers to produce more bamboo and to help them understand the significance of its market potential To ensure that the bamboo obtained is of the right age and quality Resources available in forests are difficult to access due to complicated policy and legal regimes Transportation from forest areas is expensive. The CFC at KONBAC sources its bamboo from bamboo growers.200 poles procured in 2005 steadily increasing to 23. with 22. which is indicative of higher demand and lower supply pointing to an opportunity that existing for growers. Approximately 600 homestead farmers are presently supplying bamboo to KONBAC. and advice on planting material procurement and propagation of different species. Government of Maharashtra. 34 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . Government of Goa. Agricultural Department. They rely on KONBAC for technical support on plantation development. Government of Maharashtra. Forest Department.KONBAC is a recognized technical advisor on sourcing planting material in the region for government institutions such as Social Forestry Department. private nurseries and other agencies. Iv. FurnIture enterprIse unIt . The furniture unit uses bamboo treated in a pressure-vacuum treatment plant (provided by NMBA) to protect against 36 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . earning USD 89 (INR 4. which. At a time when he was on the verge of migrating and willing to take up any job that would come his way. which are the major commercial markets of the region. locally known as Mannga.The Konkan region has an abundance of Oxytenanthera stocksii. which would put the skills of young carpenters in the region to enhanced use. five models of furniture were designed. Bright prospects were seen for eco-friendly round pole furniture. the most famous restaurant in the district. they were reluctant to take the risk and try out a venture that was not known and understood at that point of time. Mestry is a 26-year-old secondary school graduate who hails from a carpentry family. the Jungle resort by the Forest Department. as well as assistance for accessing a bank loan.500) per month. he was hunting for worthwhile employment for over a year. However. KONBAC then set up the unit by itself in January 2006 and followed through on marketing. prototyped and test-marketed in Goa and Mumbai. one of the carpenters. following excellent performance.200). Initially. with which round pole bamboo furniture of high aesthetic value can be made. Driven by the lack of markets for his furniture products. he was chosen for a training course on joinery. Soon he underwent training. jigs and moulds at the Indian Institute of Technology. and well-known persons such as ministers. judges and government officials. Bombay. Following completion of his apprenticeship. says he is “proud to be able to use his skills to generate adequate income without moving out of the locality”. with a set of strategic sales in the region giving bamboo round-pole furniture. The positive feedback from the market with immediate orders required a production unit for furniture making to be set up. sold under the brand “MANNGA EXOTIQUES” good visibility. Dattaprasad Mestry. one of KONBAC’s outreach programmes made him aware of bamboo furniture making. resulted in an apprenticeship at KONBAC’s furniture unit. the trained artisans were encouraged to set up the furniture unit on their own. Because of his excellent performance.000) a month. Key clients targeted included the Shilpagram project of the Tourism Department. The Konkan ARS programme tapped their skills by orienting 23 of them through training in making round pole furniture from bamboo. with KONBAC promising to provide technical and marketing support. After the initial training of the carpenters. This led to increased acceptability of bamboo products. He now works as a senior artisan/trainer. a local restaurant in the area of operation. Many were looking to migrate and find employment in sectors where they did not have required skills. almost double the average salary of local secondary high school graduates (USD 49 = INR 2. Mestry started his career earning USD 33 (INR 1. Many of them belonging to the carpenter community were reluctant to follow traditional career paths due to competition from mechanized wood furniture and increased imports of low-cost furniture and plastic furniture. a leading restaurant in Goa. 764) Gender representation (male/ female) Attributes Jan 2006 23 full-time Ecoemployees friendly. Trained artisans are given the treated bamboo in a kit form to make the needed components as per designs. Initially six artisans were hired on a full-time basis for the final assembly of the products with quality control. and design. the furniture unit posted a net deficit of INR 1.764) (Table 6. owing to lack of availability of working capital to expand the production to meet the huge demand. The furniture unit also incurred expenses on setting up a pressure-vacuum treatment plant. KONBAC incurred a net loss of INR 214. ergonomic in nature Figure 14: Income and expenses of the furniture unit Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 37 . expenses to train the carpenters. it was able to generate revenue of INR 2.765) in 2005. Table 6: Bamboo furniture unit Name of the project Bamboo Furniture Unit Year No of persons/ artisans involved directly 6 (2006) 14 (2007) 23 (2008) 23 full time and 45 part-time Grants received by the project INR 120.73 million (USD 60. with support from NMBA.443 (USD 4.734 million INR (USD 60. are all men.831 (USD 27. Within a span of three years of setting up of the furniture enterprise unit. The increased lifespan also changed the perception of bamboo furniture among consumers and producers.000 (USD2667) Revenue generated 2.termites and borers. more were employed later.263). However. which helps extend the life of the furniture. Figure 14). and a complete facility to treat the bamboo for producing quality bamboo furniture. In 2008. However. prototype and test-market the furniture were heavy.226. employ45 partment generating time and workers are all women. KONBAC is positive about turning into further growth by 2010. For example. Limitations to the further development of the furniture unit are the lack of availability of working capital to expand the production to meet the demand. their employability. there is limited workforce to cater to the production owing to the lack of working capital. The biggest market for the furniture is high-end resorts. to develop artisanal capability for furniture production. such as the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). Final assembly is done partly by the community and the furniture is brought back to the CFC for fine-finishing.000-50. hotels and government tourism departments. similar one produced by KONBAC costs between INR 13. KONBAC’s bamboo furniture fetches better price than furniture products from regular commercial enterprises (mostly from the NorthEast) because of their better quality and finishing. The components needed for making furniture – such as bamboo nails. which hamper the development of trained manpower. long-term training (of 6 months) is needed. In addition. production capacity and hence. funds for such training are not available from government development agencies. Each of the 45 women workers regularly supplies these materials to KONBAC through part-time work and earn INR 500 (USD 11) per month. The strategic location of Sindhudurg close to Goa.Niche tourism markets have accepted the bamboo furniture produced by KONBAC and the increase in demand has been steady.000 (USD 289-1111). further growth in the sector. Despite a nearly three-month backlog of orders with several buyers being turned away. However. bamboo splits (locally called patties) and round bamboo sticks. Buyers accept the high prices because of the high quality and good finishing of the products.000 (USD 133-267). while a bamboo sofa set available in the market costs between INR 6. which form essential inputs for furniture-making – are produced by the communities at the household level entirely by women. Smart pricing policies adopted ensure that the artisans get the best remuneration possible for their work. has contributed significantly to expanding the market for bamboo furniture. which is an international tourist destination.000-12. 38 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . Production of furniture does not take place only at the factory. Box 1: The stages of furniture production Harvesting bamboo Transportation of culms Drilling holes for treatment Chemical treatment of culms Cutting culms into kit form External node removal Removal of culms’ skin Stacking culms in kit form Making joins Joinery Tying with cane for aesthetic value Sanding Finishing: spray painting Transportation Finished product Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 39 . . crAFt enterprIse unIt .v. a separate unit (“factory”) was set up. Initially. creating access to new high-value markets. such as diaries. this approach produced unexpected results.The Konkan ARS programme developed a crafts enterprise unit. More recently. These mats are supplied to bamboo-based acrylic sheets manufacturing units funded by NMBA. they were able to leave the confines of their home everyday. mats produced in the Konkan ARS have been widely used as roofing and walling components for resorts and restaurants due to their high-quality. serving trays. Since cheaper North-Eastern products have a short lifespan. raw materials and tools. In the North-East. from traditional bamboo-weaving communities. coasters and other utilitarian products. In addition. in addition. both younger and older. The focus was to target bulk markets with products that can be made from bamboo mats. 13 villages have now developed clustered production enterprises on the model of self-help groups (SHGs). which no longer had to compete with cheaper North-Eastern alternatives. with interlaced products made from graded and treated bamboo. the artisans are provided with ongoing inputs on design. Therefore. KONBAC developed a strategy that aimed to develop high value-added craft products. 42 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . While steps have been taken to introduce the North-Eastern species. craft products from the Konkan region were unable to compete with low-cost handicrafts from Tripura and other parts of North-East India. local markets for products such as flower vases and hairpins were also targeted. From 36 training programmes conducted on mat making. with local women commuting to work. craft-making was promoted as a home-based activity. To ensure that communities get adequate income. as younger women were uninterested in working from home while older women were. This has attracted more women to participate in crafts training since working in a “factory” increased their social status. employing 18 women on a full-time basis to principally make mat products. However. KONBAC has a buy-back arrangement with these groups. A craft unit was set up in Kudal. this strategy also included quality control measures. Another important reason was that the young women were able to wear better clothes (since they are going out). People who were trained under this programme were mostly women. which has repositioned local craft products. the availability of adequate raw material is still some way off. Following the strategy that worked with the CFC. In addition to skill upgrading training and market development. In addition. The presence of craft production centre in Kudal led to greater visibility. North-Eastern products are still considerably cheaper than local Konkan alternatives. these bamboo resources are available at lower costs. KONBAC also acts as a facilitator between the producer and consumer. Before the ARS programme began. sales and publicity for the enterprise. in January 2006. This arrangement provides direct employment to 260 household-based micro-enterprise women producers. serving trays and table mats. Therefore. which are now used to produce bread baskets. artisans have access to bamboo species that are better suited than the Konkan ones for making bamboo craft products. Training was offered to communities in making high-end mats. despite the development of numerous new product prototypes and government-sponsored training courses. coasters. despite the long supply chain and high transportation costs. who earned a monthly income of INR 2.000 on which a family of six people had to subsist. Year No of persons/ artisans involved directly 278 (260 involved in mats making (part-time) and 18 in bread basket & crafts making) Grants received by the project (in INR) Funds received from various agencies for training Revenue generated (in INR) INR 114. The expenses related to the unit and its activities are well within the revenue generated from the sales of the products. bamboo mats and bread baskets are made for niche markets Snehalata Mavlankar. who belongs to the Mahar community. Presently. but the meagre income of the family was an issue. is a 26-year-old secondary school graduate.950 (USD 2. Snehalata wanted to provide better education to her children.000 (USD 2.310 Total USD 42.487) incurred on this activity.073 Gender representation (male/ female) Female dominated Attributes Jan 2006 High quality craft items.The KONBAC’s crafts unit generated a revenue of INR 114.893. After the training she became an apprentice making mats.000 (2006) INR 675.740 (2008) Total INR 1. she participated in a training programme of KONBAC conducted at Ambedkar Nagar in Kudal.570 (2007) INR 1.533) in the first year. In search of avenues that would help augment the household income. jigs and moulds for roti baskets at IIT Bombay. She is married with two children. Table 7: Details of the crafts unit Name of the project Crafts and mat making unit.000 rupees) per month. She is a proud mother. able to educate her children and take care of her family as well. The only bread earner in the family was the father-in-law. as against the expenses of INR 111. She is now a master trainer earning $67 (INR 3. the crafts unit employs 18 regular staff. Activities cover 9 villages.103. KONBAC noticed her dedication and potential and selected her for training on making mat designs. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 43 . Figure 15: Income and expenses of the crafts unit Box 2: Craft products produced at Konkan ARS Bamboo processing tool kit Production with tool kits Bamboo splitting Sliver production Weaving slivers Interlacing Drying Plain coloured bamboo mats Coloured bamboo mat Bamboo handbag Bamboo pencil stand Bamboo coasters 44 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . Box 3: Bread basket production at Konkan ARS Sliver Production Adjusting the base Base weaving Bending the base Inter-weaving slivers Checking base size with a jig & mould Preparing a top ring Setting top ring size with a mould Sun drying Basket with natural dye finish Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 45 . are of high quality and have an elegant appearance. on the innovative idea of making specially designed bread (roti) baskets with food-grade preservatives and non-toxic vegetable dyes. moulds and jigs have been prepared by artisans trained in IIT Mumbai. marketed by KONBAC under its brand “Mannga Exotiques” in cosmopolitan markets. Bombay.Bread basket production To face the stiff competition in the bamboo baskets segment from the products originating from North-East India. hotels and resorts. a region known for intricate basketry. These roti baskets. KONBAC worked with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). To standardize size and quality. These roti baskets are sold to restaurants. They are 110 mm in height and have an open mouth of 190 mm diameter. . vI. pAckAgIng enterprIse unIt . as well as maximize employment opportunities. Due to the scarcity of wood. Bambusa bambos. with splitting and bending being undertaken at the CFC. over 3 million packaging boxes are required every year. and supplied to selected mango growers. Bamboo is highly renewable. Women groups in these villages. thereby enabling them to produce cases of industry standard at the crop source.38) to Rs 30. However. traditional bamboo packaging was widely used for fruits and other produce. Given these factors. But the shift in mode of transport and increase in trade to external markets forced the farmers to shift from bamboo to wooden boxes. Bamboos were sourced from villages. as they neither own forest land rights nor have the capital-intensive machinery needed for sawing wood. Earlier.78) per box. For bulk purchases. with boxes made from other low cost material. Initially. making the strip thinner at bending points. The cost of production. all cases were produced at the CFC. were to be equipped with a fixture and jigs. The Alphonso mango is rather delicate. Since designs from NID and others using bamboo had not succeeded. replacement of wooden boxes.00 (USD 0. Sindhudurg and the nearby Ratnagiri districts are world renowned for the Alphonso variety of mangoes. These were evaluated and one was chosen that had good structural design. To make it attractive and wean away mango growers from wood packaging. was slightly higher compared with the available wooden alternatives. its cutting does not cause deforestation and its use in packaging promises to provide much employment and income generating opportunities to the rural community in this region. Since 2003. INR 35. with wooden boxes traditionally used for packaging. In addition to adverse environmental effects. the poor also derive minimal benefit from wood packaging. which is considered as a bamboo with lesser or no use by the village farmer.55) per box. which are sturdier.40-0. who would have been trained earlier on. In the Konkan region alone. These mangoes are transported widely to different parts of the country.One of the first products that the Konkan ARS focused on was the development of bamboo-based packaging for mangoes.00 (USD 0. The long-term aim of this system was to provide villages adjacent to mango orchards with pre-processed strips needed for assembling packaging cases. could have a number of large environmental and economic benefits for the rural poor. INBAR and KONBAC identified the development of durable bamboo packaging designs for mangoes as a priority activity. Therefore.78) per box in the year 2006 and is increasing further with inflation. and an electric staple gun.00-35. Bamboo required for bending was step-cut in four places. increasing demand for mango packaging is resulting in more trees being cut. with 1. The current practise of using wood for packing cases consumes huge volumes of timber leading to tree-felling on a large scale. was used for the prototyping. INBAR sourced three types of bamboo packing cases from China. In the Konkan region. the price of packing boxes has increased from INR 17.400 boxes produced in 2006. a small generator.68-0. The production was designed to take advantage of the CFC investment. if production is on larger scale. costs can be reduced. One such opportunity is the usage of bamboo boxes for packaging. the 48 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . the cost of packaging cases is increasing year on year. the price may go down to INR 20-25 (USD 0. with durable packaging needed to reduce damage during transit.00 (USD 0. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 49 . KONBAC then got a subsidy from NMBA and did a larger scale production in three blocks of Sindhudurg district. In addition. local employment and income generation and enterprise development. The production process designed. jigs and people. since it was at prototype stage Attributes May 2006 14 (fulltime) NMBA INR 240.cases were sold at a discounted rate of Rs 25 per box. which involved village groups in assembling. Despite successful development of prototypes and CFC production lines for packaging. the Government of Maharashtra is still committed to providing policy support for the development of bamboo and similar material for packaging. The launch of this particular design captured the attention of both print and electronic media.330) Highquality cases. However. with 24. the machine for step-cutting in the CFC does not work as required and needs re-tooling. Hence. some issues still remain. Table 8: Details of the packaging enterprise unit Name of the project Mango packaging cases – in 3 blocks of Sindhudurg district Year No of persons/ artisans involved directly Grants support Revenue generated Gender representation (male/female) All 14 employed were men. ecofriendly The mango growers who used the bamboo packing cases accepted the design and expressed interest in buying them again. because of the considerable benefits to the environment. bending is currently done using gas-torch.000 (USD 5. has not been implemented and requires validation.000 cases and all cases were sold to 140 mango growers in 2007. Box 4: Bamboo packing case production process Harvesting bamboo Transportation of bamboo culms Drilling holes for treatment Chemical treatment of culms Cutting culms into kit form Stapling slivers - step 1 Stapling slivers - step 2 Assembling Handing the crates to mango growers Packaging in final stage Mangoes assembled in bamboo crates Finished product in transport 50 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital vII. constructIon enterprIse unIt In October 2005, KONBAC began a construction enterprise unit to cash in on local market opportunities for resorts, restaurants and farm-houses that were in demand. The establishment of the unit fitted with KONBAC’s aim to increase livelihood opportunities for poor rural households by changing the wider perception of bamboo as a low-end, cheap material. By targeting construction, KONBAC aimed to demonstrate the potential of bamboo to be adopted for high-end purposes, while also creating considerable employment opportunities for local rural communities. Construction offered a number of advantages for changing local perceptions of bamboo, as resorts, restaurants and farm houses are highly visible products. To cut the costs on bringing the larger diameter bamboos for construction from elsewhere, KONBAC used the small-diameter bamboo, which is available plenty locally and also adopting a technique of joining small bamboos together. Expenses reported by KONBAC towards making demonstration structures, conducting training programmes, developing various housing components, furniture and other fittings were more than the revenue generated by the construction unit. To meet the costs of the unit, KONBAC also borrowed funds from various sources. As of 2008, KONBAC posted a net deficit of INR 3,267,490 (USD 72,610), but the deficit is on a downward trend. With increased visibility on the quality work demonstrated by KONBAC in construction sector, there is a huge demand presently. To date, the unit has built six commercial structures, generating sales revenue of INR 11,053,462 (USD 245,633) and creating livelihood opportunities for over 300 people. KONBAC has experience on new cost-cutting techniques and have tested them in the field. As there is a growing market for bamboo-based construction, there is no difficulty in achieving a self-sustaining status. Figure 16: Income and expenses of the construction unit Bamboo housing construction is an eco-friendly, high-end, low-to-medium volume product, depending on the targeted end-use market, whether resorts and restaurants or low-cost housing. It has a high employment generation potential, as a bamboo house is not just one product but a composite product. The construction is a market in itself for various housing components, furniture and craft items that are made from bamboo. KONBAC departed from the use of larger diameter bamboos for major constructions (as in Colombia and Ecuador) or flattened bamboos (called laths) for low-cost rural and improved slum housing (such as in Manipur and Mizoram states, and houses by Hogar de 52 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital Cristo in Ecuador) due to lack of traditional bamboo species used for construction. Instead, KONBAC has focused on construction using locally available small-diameter bamboo, Oxytenanthera stocksii. This involved developing a new technique for O. stocksii to make aesthetically pleasing constructions for the high-end market. The technique developed joins small diameter bamboos together using metal plates, with the help of nut and bolts. The construction is well in line with the INBAR-developed ISO bamboo building codes DIS 22156 and 22157 . Construction at KONBAC started with three demonstration structures. Thereafter, six commercial constructions were undertaken, ranging from 600 sq. ft rooftop restaurant to a 3,000 sq. ft, two-storied, resort for the MTDC. KONBAC provides training programmes to communities on making prefabricated structures. So far, 57 people have been trained via three such programmes, each lasting three months. One international training programme conducted by KONBAC attracted participants from India, East Timor and Italy. Construction sector is primarily dominated by men at the assembling and erection stage of the house or resort, due to the nature and demand of work involved. At the same time, women are involved in developing the components needed for construction, creating large-scale employment opportunities at the community level, which is not possible with normal construction methods. Woven mats used for both interior and exterior purpose, bamboo nails and bamboo splints are some of the construction components made by rural women working at home during the time spared from their household activity. The construction sector has the potential to create both direct and indirect employment opportunities. By 2008, KONBAC directly employed 28 people on a full-time basis, with nearly 280 people on part-time, 50 percent of the women working on piece-rate basis. The promotion of construction sector in the region has a great potential to arrest the migration of men to urban areas seeking employment opportunities to an extent possible. Table 9: Details of the bamboo construction unit Name of the project Year No of persons/ artisans involved directly Grants received by the project (In INR) Revenue generated (In INR) Gender representation (male/ female) Full-time: 26 male and 2 female; Part-time: 280 (50% women) Attributes Bamboo structure, fabrication & erection unit Oct 2005 28 fulltime; 280 part-time 61,500 (2005) 186,934 (2006) 2,690,332 INR (2007) 150,000; 8,114,696 USD (2008) 3330 Total INR 1.105 million Total USD 245,632 Eco friendly construction aiming at the niche markets. 7 In 2001, an INBAR draft was adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee ISO/ TC 165 and approved by ISO in 2004. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 53 Box 5: Small pole bamboo construction process Bamboo propagation Bamboo nursery Full-grown bamboo Transportation of bamboo Surface cleaning of bamboo Preservation treatment Bamboo sizing Drilling Making gusset plates 54 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . The training enabled him to make structural components using small diameter bamboo.200 (USD 27) per month. In 2008. The job was not a permanent one and growth prospects in income were nil. working on the Tarakali beach construction site. While on the lookout for better-paying jobs. He now earns a salary of INR 3.400 (USD 76) a month. he came to know that KONBAC provided training in construction and joined the programme.Devendr Satam was previously working as an assistant in a grocery shop earning a salary of INR 1. he became a full-time employee of the construction unit. Column assembly Roof module fabrication Pre-Caning Caning Pre-fabricated column Pre-fabricated truss Pre-fabricated beam Pre-fabricated columns+ribs Fixing the base plate Erection of column at the worksite Erection of trusses at the worksite – step 1 Erection of trusses at the worksite – step 2 Work under progress Final assembly Bamboo resort Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 55 . . sAnItAry nApkIn unIt .vIII. with further research to be conducted. was picked up by NMBA to test the potential of using bamboo cellulosic pulp for making eco-friendly. Greater use of bamboo pulp would also increase the demand for raw material. NMBA chose KONBAC for the pilot project on the strength of its track record in trying out innovative ideas. necessary modifications were made to improve the effectiveness and quality of the product.2 million Revenue generated (In INR) 50. Tests showed that the absorption ability of the product was equivalent to a popular commercial product. With support from INBAR’s Global Marketing Initiative (GMI). One issue was the quality (strength) of the fibre since it tended to be brittle and break more easily. Shriram Institute subsequently modified the pulp cooking process to reduce brittleness. rural women use unhygienic methods and introduction of low-cost napkins would contribute to improving their health. which uses bamboo cellulosic pulp as an absorbent material instead of regular wood pulp. Production was run on a trial basis. In addition. KONBAC trial-tested the sanitary napkin production from bamboo pulp with help of Dr’s Fraternity Club of Sindhudurg district. As a result. KONBAC is now exploring the possibilities of using the fibre for products such as soft-toys. The unit currently uses bamboo waste from crafts and mat making units. cushions. The INBAR/ CIBART–GMI design centre in India will design and develop products using the fibre produced by KONBAC. bamboo cellulosic pulp proved to be 30 percent more absorbent than wood cellulosic pulp. and lamp-shades. Environmental friendliness and large-scale employment generation in rural areas are two important potential attributes of the venture. the cellulosic pulp produced at the centre may also be put to other uses. Based on the feedback from both the Club and the market. the Government of Tripura with support from the Rural Development Ministry of India. Table 10: Details of the sanitary napkin unit Name of the project Sanitary napkin unit Year July 2007 No of persons/ artisans involved directly 4 (full-time) Grants received by the project (In INR) 3. besides the fibre. The sanitary napkin unit. Another use that is being considered is as a textile fibre. low-cost sanitary napkins for use by rural women. which would benefit smallholder farmers.000 Gender representation (male/female) 2 female and 2 male A large multinational commercial producer of sanitary napkins is willing to buy the production but asked for a daily supply that exceeds the potential annual production of the present pilot unit! Since then.An INBAR proposal to the Shriram Institute for Industrial Research that had developed technology for cellulosic wood pulp based sanitary napkins. Currently. KONBAC will provide the necessary technical assistance. powder was formed during the production process. has decided to set up a factory producing sanitary napkins from bamboo. The unit will now be shifted to the under-development R&D and Technology Applications Centre. 58 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . is the first-of-its-kind in India. FInAncIAl cApItAl development .IX. 780 (USD 15. It is also closer to attaining sustainability.7 times in just four years to reach INR 12. The total revenue generated in 2005 was INR 687. Figure 17: Growth in revenue and expenditure over 2005-2008 Figure 18: Trending towards financial sustainability (deficit as percent of revenue) The revenues are derived from training grants.284) 60 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital .8 percent of revenues (Figure 18).780 (USD 15. it increased 17. in 2005. the major source of revenue was from training and other grants as KONBAC started offering short-term to long-term training on bamboo to create awareness.2 million (USD 271.KONBAC started in 2004 with an initial investment of USD 10.000) from INBAR and a corresponding investment in Indian currency from the local NGOs.284) in 2005.000 (INR 450. The gap has been met through hand-loans. the deficit of around 90 percent in the initial years is now only 5. In comparison to a modest revenue of INR 687.026) by 2008. and consultancies. sales of its products and services. Initially. it has seen a rapid increase in its revenue (Figure 17). Since then. 890. training and other grants contributed 20 percent. which has contributed 66 percent of the total revenue in the year 2008 (Figure 19).in which sales revenue formed a small percentage.016) of which revenue from construction formed the majority (56 percent). By 2006. the sales revenue from crafts and furniture was the majority. though training grants still contributed a significant percentage. Consultancies contributed to very minimal percentage in revenue (Figure 20). From 2007. Figure 20: Total revenue distribution across units 2005-2008 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 61 . Figure 19: Revenues of KONBAC Overall. the majority of income generated has been mostly through sales from the construction enterprise. whereas that from furniture was 14 percent and sales revenue from crafts was 10 percent. the total revenue generated during 2005-2008 is INR 19.786 (USD 442. as can be seen from Figures 14 and 16 in the furniture and construction chapters. that from furniture and construction has been higher (Figures 21 and 22). development and prototyping of designs. surpluses are expected in 2010 in both units. Being developing businesses. In addition.Whereas the expenses on training and the craft unit activities were within the revenues. there has been a marked reduction in the annual deficit and given the trends. an R&D unit is being set up that will be funded from research grants. there has been the need for infrastructural facilities. and a company has been set up that will be able to secure the needed investments including working capital for production. However. Figure 21: Overall expenditure distribution across units over 2005-2008 Figure 22: Total expenditure across units (2005-2008) 62 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . test marketing. X. tAkIng stock & the wAy ForwArd . 000 traditional bamboo artisanal families in the region are Mahars. which is a scheduled caste. There was a strong perception that bamboo could not be converted into products that had a viable demand in nearby markets.000 poor scheduled caste bamboo artisanal families in the region. seeks to bring sustained benefits incrementally to the 15. India. Bamboo can replace wood in many applications. the Konkan ARS in the Konkan Division in Maharashtra State. The promotion of bamboo-based livelihoods is envisaged to be a viable alternative that will address the above issues. from primary processing to producing value-added products. and are largely below the poverty line. the Konkan ARS has linked 130 villages and 3. which increase the degree of comfort for the rural producer. It is perennial with annual production of poles that can be harvested round the year and is drought tolerant. The Need and Demand for Development Intervention in the Konkan Being predominantly rural with a largely agro-based economy. the availability of bamboo and the presence of a large number of bamboo working households. Bamboo is a ‘plant-and-forget’ kind of crop amenable to agricultural operation. packaging and housing to infrastructure – there are thus several market opportunities and options. unlike smallholder farmers who meet much of their annual food needs from subsistence farming and need a little cash for key expenses. as well as the women-headed households who are below the poverty line with migrant men working in urban areas. the development of bamboo-based livelihoods seems picture perfect. The poles are also lightweight and can be handled by women.Set up in 2004. It is important to realize that most Mahars are landless. ranging from furniture. Targeting The Konkan division has fairly dense patches of bamboo coupled with bambooworking artisanal families. While given the socio-economic conditions of Konkan region.000 households. short rain-fed agriculture season. these communities did not want to be associated with bamboo since working with bamboo was not respected due to its low-caste association in the region. Its ability to split linearly allows for women to participate at all stages of the several value chains possible. which would generate both on-farm and off-farm employment opportunities. a single. the low-caste association that bamboo has in the minds of the people was the biggest impediment to be overcome to take forward the bamboo sector in the region. This makes them entirely dependent on the cash earnings for meeting all 64 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . most could not earn an adequate amount to sustain their families. lack of year-round employment opportunities and extensive migration of men such that the women left behind constituted two-thirds of the workforce. It was not remunerative either. there was a clear need to develop livelihood opportunities in the Konkan region. The 15. However. By December 2008. Farmers often do not even have to cut the bamboo. A significant number of trainees (672) have found direct or indirect employment in the KONBAC units.expenses including purchase of food. The numbers of such women are large. A small number of women work in household industries and other non-farm occupations. They are mostly families in subsistence but who need cash for expenses – in Sindhudurg district. and they literally live from hand to mouth. Over 2005-2008. A third goal has been the promotion of bamboo cultivation in the region by developing increasing the availability of planting materials. with 41 percent as cultivators and 48 percent as agricultural labour. Development Strategy An important goal was to raise the profile of bamboo through design and value and positioning bamboo products in high-end markets with attractive economic returns compared to alternative opportunities. according to the 2001 Census. 11. And. as described below. A second goal was to enable communities to derive value from such markets while working within their environs. regional. Ultimately. the Konkan ARS has reached out to 3.3 million (89 percent) were employed in agriculture.7 million women working in rural areas of the Konkan division. This would also have the wider benefit of linking the rural poor to high-end markets (as well as intermediate and other markets). without having to migrate seasonally or work otherwise on location. two-thirds of the labour force consisted of women. Bamboo is also a plant that does not need constant attention and would still produce poles annually. much like urban dwellers. coconut or rice. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 65 . Cash income generation for them is therefore very critical.000 Mahar families out of a total of 15. Out of the 12. numerous local.000 Mahar families also will benefit from its training and facilities for livelihood improvement. The second group being targeted are the many women-headed households in the region who are below the poverty line with their men-folk working in urban areas. The awareness and training programmes and the success of the KONBAC bamboo products have brought back their confidence in livelihoods based on bamboo. This can be very helpful for women. Natural Resource Development Konkan farmers are attracted to bamboo because it gives higher economic returns than mango. There is an enhancement of products produced by them. rural poverty is over 50 percent.000. and international development agencies have approached KONBAC for advice and technical support to incorporate pro-poor innovation with bamboo into their activities. some through awareness raising programmes and other through training courses. Within India. in India KONBAC is forging public-private partnerships for expanding the use of bamboo and rattan in reducing poverty and protecting the environment. KONBAC aims to ramp up the numbers so that the remaining 12. which is sold in the market at INR 40 (USD 0. In 2005. the bamboo plants in polybags can be split into two or more plants and so the multiplication system is inbuilt. The units were initially incubated within the CFC. At current selling prices of INR 25 a plant. While the initial profit (selling-buying price) was INR 6 in 2005. for the same bamboo. The Mahar BPL households do not have land or the investment capability and so are disadvantaged. In 2008. their annual value would be INR 15 million (USD 333. farmers now receive a price of INR 25 (USD 0. In time.the price of a plant has gone up from INR 9 in 2005 to INR 25 by the end of 2008. One way to involve these households could be to make them a part of this bamboo planting material production process by using polybags that could be kept in the spaces around their clustered huts.000 plants could be produced in a year.20).5 fold rise in buying and selling prices. packaging. about 600. For example. marketing and payment system in place. Every two months. In general there has been a 2.89). The increasing demand for bamboo due to the Konkan ARS enterprises and that of the trained communities has led to a steady increase in the price a farmer in the region receives. which operate under the same legal framework. Multiplying and growing bamboo could provide them with a sustained income source and improve their natural capital base. and value chains linking rural processors and rural enterprises to markets were developed.56) per pole.000 Mahar families and womenheaded households who are presently not involved in the generation of planting material. a preservation unit for treating bamboos. if 15.33).300) or INR 1000 (USD 22) per household/year. Given the demand for planting material of Oxtenanthera stocksii. the medium-term aim is to involve the primary target groups of the Konkan ARS. More recently.000 households each produced just 10 plants of bamboo quarterly in poly-bags in their homes backed up by a KONBAC collection. While this shortterm strategy to quickly ramp up planting material production is working well. KONBAC in partnership with the social forestry department of the state government and private nurseries produced 217. besides the pilot demonstration unit for sanitary napkins.500 planting units by 2008. and crafts. Institutional Ecosystem Development Starting with the establishment of a dedicated NGO (KONBAC) for the Konkan region. who are the 15. the price for a bamboo pole was INR 9 (USD 0. which was sold at INR 15 (USD 0. there is great demand for planting material which is always in short supply . furniture and construction units. a depot where the treated and graded bamboos are stocked has also been set up. a processing centre (CFC). these grew and separated into physically separated enterprise units. 66 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . it went up to INR 15 in 2008. the supporting institutional ecosystem needed for sustained and viable economic activity was further built up with nursery linkages. Resource and input supply chains linking growers to processers. It has been observed that most of the planting material is taken up by the larger farmers who have land and investment capability.those interested (mainly traders) would get the bamboo cut and transport it away. As a consequence. For example. the Konkan ARS could benefit from diversification of the furniture technology and product range. etc. the RAAU Foundation and its network. The production of bamboo-based packaging to provide gainful employment for large numbers of rural poor continues to remain valid. INBAR is working on an improved stepcut machine and also a manual tool-set that will enable the women artisans in Mahar community to do the step cut locally in the villages. In addition to direct impacts to the community. InHand Abra Foundation has developed innovative membrane furniture made from interlaced (woven) bamboo. Packing case kits. Cases could be then made for packing other produce. Furniture Enterprise Unit The furniture production system is operating smoothly. As these get addressed. This would benefit a large number of them.The Konkan ARS is seen as a centre of innovation by governments. This needs to be taken forward. the ARS has played a prominent role in raising awareness among government. It was anticipated that the production would be done with Mahar women through an extensive distributed fabrication system. Bent-laminate furniture and products developed by CIBART’s partner. and sell to orchards. each containing all the needed component pieces would be given to women groups in villages together with a pneumatic staple gun and a small portable compressor and a set of fixtures. even though it would be seasonal. with nearly a three-month backlog of orders due to lack of trained capacity and working capital.000 cases. has many applications and tremendous potential. government agencies. Packaging Enterprise Unit The packaging unit was one of the first to be set up and targeted the demand for 3 million pieces mango packing cases. and importantly is a product production system that has enormous potential for replication in other states in India and abroad. development banks. such as NMBA and NBM now view the Konkan ARS as a centre for innovation and work intensively with KONBAC on a range of public training and commercial activities. donors and the private sector. The ability to produce the package entirely in the village has already been proven. Another approach could be to produce standardized turned furniture components with joinery in large volumes that could be supplied to urban areas where they could be Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 67 . the INBAR Philippines GMI Centre in the Philippines in collaboration with its partner.000. Owing to technical problems with machines. There are a number of other linkages. there is much demand for the furniture. various agencies. including with institutions abroad. 25. The women would thus be able to produce the packing cases locally and supply to adjacent mango orchards at competitive prices. banks and private enterprise about the economic and poverty alleviation potential of the bamboo sector.400 mango packing cases were produced as against the potential of 3. assemble. It is not uncommon that clients are turned away. For example. CIBART. the exterior panels are of wood but could have been bamboo panels too if they had been available. resulting in adaptive upscaling of best-practices and technologies. Furthermore. and obtain recognition from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research which would make it eligible to receive R&D grants from the Government of India. These are mass-consumption products with widespread demand. Construction Enterprise Unit Technology and product support from INBAR and its partners could help strengthen the construction enterprise unit and increase its competitiveness and backend opportunities for the communities it works with. This would contribute to increasing the profitability of KONBAC. products that are consumed in volume need to be included in the Konkan ARS production programme. Therefore. Examples are slats and their products such as flooring. The goal of the centre will be to undertake pro-poor. in the boat-shaped resort. Bamboo wafer board. It could increase the range of construction by including bamboo panel products for covering flat surfaces. Crafts Enterprise Unit To create income-generating opportunities for the large number of the targeted beneficiaries. and needs-based technology development and related R&D.assembled. Outputs from the centre will directly benefit local rural communities. innovative. laminated boards. KONBAC and other investing agencies. The construction unit primarily works with round bamboo for construction. besides upgrading existing ones. finished and sold. products that INBAR has developed. the technology developed in the Abra ARS in the Philippines for making exterior-grade boards would help expand the range of exterior products and safeguard surfaces exposed to the elements. allowing them to build on and up-scale existing bamboo-based activities. R&D and Tech Development Centre KONBAC has had to invest a considerable amount from the funds received including commercial contracts towards R&D.. For example. in some cases up to 30 percent of the contract amount. and thereby the security of its beneficiaries who depend on it for direct employment or as an intermediary market. reconstituted bamboo board. Markets such as school furniture can take in large volumes. bamboo mat board and other panel products could be made or bought out similar to the bamboo roofing sheets that are currently being used. The R&D Centre will also make products gender-equitable through re- 68 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . it was decided to set up an R&D centre. For example. The Bamboo Technology Research & Development Centre is being set up as a joint notfor profit entity of INBAR. The slat flooring would be an excellent fit with the construction programme of KONBAC. etc. This technology and product designs with prototypes has recently been transferred from the INBAR-CIBART GMI Centre in India. these outputs will also be disseminated and validated in other action research sites. the enterprise part of KONBAC is facing challenges to become financially sustainable. Available land of CIBART in an industrial area in Kudal has been used in setting up the R&D Centre. Due to the interventions. The company will be co-owned by community-based producer societies. NMBA has provided an interest-free loan of INR 5 million (USD 111. Furthermore. a for-profit company. INBAR is also involved in providing technical assistance. will provide INR 2. now classified by government as a Scheduled Caste. some higher caste Maratha and Brahmin members are now engaging in the bamboo sector. many members of the Mahar caste were dissuading their children from learning bamboo processing and weaving skills.08 million (USD 24. KONBAC is providing technical. with a workshop employing local community members involving an investment of USD 400. Financial Sustainability and Commercial Production In the absence of an institutional mechanism of financing. the State Bamboo Mission. as well as documenting participatory Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in all technologies. and NMBA has approved INR 9. Vani (traders) and Gabit (fisherfolk) are now working together in the local bamboo sector. INBAR is supporting INR 1. such as Sutar (carpenters). Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 69 . a previously untouchable caste. high-value markets. Maharashtra.55 million (USD 56. Pune.000) to it.000 has been set up. since traditionally. This will be useful in helping the community derive a proportion of the higher-end value addition in which they are not able to directly participate. In addition. This is a major breakthrough.8 million (USD 218. by demonstrating its economic potential in new. Public-Private Partnerships KONBAC has set up its first PPP with the Lavasa Corporation Ltd. It needs to build upon a corpus fund for financing its expenditures over one year period. and the Friends of Women’s World Banking (FWWB) a similar amount at a low rate of interest to benefit 900 women. NATIVE Konbac Bamboo Products Private Ltd. Overcoming Caste Barriers The ARS has played a major role in overcoming local caste barriers. The ARS programme has altered social perceptions of bamboo. Lavasa Bamboocrafts Pvt.000) to KONBAC for the centre. large numbers of Mahar communities. processes and products. Since credit is not easily given to non-profits (like KONBAC) and it is difficult to draw in investment. has been set up. bamboo artisanship was solely an occupation of the Mahar caste.. A bamboo products company. at least in the district. Ltd.000). due to the poor quality of local artisan products and the emergence of plastics. management and training consultancies.670) to CIBART. as well as members of other castes. Maharashtra.designing the production process and technology. the willingness of the higher castes to work with the lower and lowest castes (traditional bamboo workers are such scheduled castes) is evidence of economic opportunities triumphing over social barriers. 70 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital . KONBAC re-positioned the CFC as a “factory” in which people would have “jobs”. the ARS had trained 2. this rapidly changed to a younger age-class that became dominant amongst the trainees who were able to see those who had undergone training either getting employed or self-employed and producing products of higher value. and even amongst the Mahar community. Significantly. and had a cascading effect. This situation was turned around. with changing perceptions. within a period of three years. Training and awareness programmes have also been undertaken on bamboo propagation. there was insufficient interest amongst the youth. By 2008. management and its use. Seeing the income benefits and rise in social status of those already employed.Providing training to the target beneficiaries in converting the bamboo into products that are in demand was the key task identified. To further interest of the youth. Initially. all of them below the poverty line. the number of participants on training courses has risen significantly over 2005. By the beginning of 2008 i. the strategy used by KONBAC in achieving this breakthrough is replicable and has scalable implications for various projects that may have similar objectives and contexts.783 (2. The change over time in the proportion of trainees in different age groups is also a positive trend in exploring market opportunities. one by KONBAC and the other by the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers. people trained locally had fine-tuned their skills to become master trainers and trainers While many of the trainees have been absorbed in the growing enterprise network of KONBAC. more youth started asking to be trained in bamboo processing. Several training workshops have been organized by agencies including three international workshops.638 women and 145 men) and with NBM support. with increasing representation from across the caste system. The number of agencies that are coming forward to sponsor training programmes has also increased.200 individuals.e. Capacity Development Training programmes with different reach and depth were developed. Most of the trainees have been women. Likewise. The combination of “factory” with “jobs” proved very attractive to the rural youth since it added glamour and status to their lives. one by INBAR. While initially only relatively old people came forward for training. the ARS had raised awareness of an additional 3. with support from DRDA and other institutions. Some have worked with KONBAC and are now planning to set up independent enterprises. others have separately cashed in on the growing recognition and the brand image of KONBAC. The coverage of these training programmes has increased considerably with more villages coming under its umbrella. These ranged from short-term to long-term training as well as for raising awareness. Considering that out of the 145 men and 2. most trainees do not come forward to avail loans to start their own enterprises and remain worried about the risk involved. Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development. Most request KONBAC to first set them up and then hand over the running enterprises to them. This needs addressing.While funds needed for basic level training are available from various agencies.9 percent for women. employability and hence. Trained workers remain in short supply.683 women trained. has shown that the building up of capacity of the target groups needs training courses of diverse lengths and content and not the traditional one-size-fits-all approach. only 5 of them started their own small-scale enterprises. The Konkan experience with its twin alignments to the target groups and rural poverty alleviation on the one hand. Support for such long-term training is essential. while a greater investment in training of women as finer artisans would have provided such enterprises with more capable workers Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 71 . in the construction unit. though is not a formal selection system as in academics or especially sports. For example. whether for small or micro enterprises.6 percent for men and 16. and Employment Generation While KONBAC has had remarkable success in convincing people to undergo training and use bamboo. a smaller subset would then be employed or be self-employed in their own enterprises with larger numbers in low value-added activities and lower numbers in high value-added activities. Considering the much higher conversion of men into entrepreneurs.1 percent conversion for men and 0. attitude. From the trained pool. this works out to 2.638 women and 145 men) who have received training. it is worth considering whether a greater investment into training men would have brought better returns on investment for development of enterprises. This needs further work. Even after understanding the potential and being assured of buy-back of their production by KONBAC. there is no provision for supporting longer-term on-the-job training for 3-6 months which is essential for an artisan to make products of up-market quality. From this a subset would come forward to be trained. of the men and women trained. For home micro-enterprises. aptitude and selection factors. There is thus a funnelling or separation that takes place naturally due to willingness. of production capacity and further growth in the sector. 140 men and 445 women got into business. and to being able to compete successfully in the market. The Konkan ARS experience in building capacity to support a development programme has shown that it is important to create a widespread pool of individuals and households that are aware of the possibilities that bamboo (or like economic opportunity) provides. while 585 of them (445 women and 140 men) set up household level micro-enterprises. of the 2783 people (2. This hampers the development of skills. 3 men and 2 women set up small enterprises.1 percent conversion for women. This is similar to the market-based “selection” system of entrepreneurs who are successful. KONBAC provides training of three months’ duration to communities on making prefabricated structures – 57 people have been trained in three such programmes. which works out to a conversion rate of 96. An important outcome of the Konkan ARS has been that women are able to participate in the bamboo construction sector not as traditional labor but as producers of value-added inputs. The ARS has also economically empowered local women. such as bamboo nails. mat-weaving. A second outcome is that women are able to now work in a dust-free and safer environment. It is telling that Konkan women clearly prefer home micro-enterprises (of the 585 women and men who set up business. Empowerment of Women KONBAC has empowered women in the region. This might be due to the logic of women+home+children. sand. rattan ties. social or other causes that needs further study.1% are women as compared to 23. such as furniture. They have greater self-confidence. crafts and construction.9% of men). cement. Market Development A major success of KONBAC has been the linkage established between the nature of the demand in urban consumption centres and the products and production in the rural area. 76. handicraft. Through the development of furniture. as well as other interior products at home or in the KONBAC facilities. 72 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital .000 over 4 years. While the traditional markets for bamboo products are households in rural and urban areas. The women now produce components used in construction. The construction unit is showing an interesting effect on the role of women. A study to understand and mitigate/ overcome the possible barriers to entrepreneurship by rural women might also help in understanding the underlying causes better and working to equal the ratios of success. who make up two-thirds of the local population due to male urban migration to the cities. hotels. water etc as head-loads. Traditionally in the construction sector in India. while working in safer work environments. Conversion of bamboo into products required by the high growth urban markets has resulted in valuation of the skills and labour of the beneficiaries and better utilization of the capital provided by developmental and funding agencies. women work as labour to carry bricks.and better economic returns at the marketplace. which gives them greater decisionmaking power. restaurants. and the like. and construction units. Their children now play in their homes and not at unsafe construction sites. KONBAC’s work enabled them to target/reach business markets such as shops. financial independence and access to social networks. A number of them are now employed or self-employed and have diversified into higher value-added roles in important local sectors. Women are thus not setting up enterprises to the same extent as men but prefer home businesses. the ARS has been able to generate commercial sales of USD 308. 9 percent of them are employees in KONBAC enterprise units that are in the town whereas 87. which is in line with common wisdom. This would mean that despite being centered in urban Kudal. As can be seen from the table 12.1 percent are self-employed with household micro-enterprises in the villages and produce and sell input materials to the KONBAC units which function as intermediate markets.5 percent urban jobs. While the number of rural jobs in crafts was 93. KONBAC’s work has had a clear positive impact in rural villages in terms of employment generation. This means that one average urban job in the units in Kudal town is generating 6.7 rural jobs in the villages.5 percent compared to 6. the construction unit generated a nearly equal benefit with Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 73 . All of them are KONBAC trainees.Employment Generation The Konkan ARS has generated over 672 new rural livelihoods. Figure 23: Employment of men and women as employees and entrepreneurs across products segments Table 11: Number of men and women employees and entrepreneurs in product segments Unit Sanitary napkin Packaging Furniture Crafts Construction Total Men employees 2 14 23 0 26 65 Men entrepreneurs 0 0 0 0 140 140 Women employees 2 0 0 18 2 22 Women entrepreneurs 0 0 45 260 140 445 Total 4 14 68 278 308 672 A breakdown of this topline analysis reveals some further surprising results that go against common thinking and that could be useful in designing strategy. This is substantially more than the average monthly income of INR 30 (USD 0. It is therefore likely that with even better designed programmes and production systems (e. which was unexpected.80).lunch) that adults were getting when the Konkan ARS project started as farm labour for around 150 days over the year. and increased confidence.5 9. discussions amongst participants with those who did not participate and other means of social communication will have spread the word on the opportunity that bamboo holds.1 Rural jobs 0.10–16.000 (USD 77.67) a day (and one meal .g.1 percent urban jobs. Figure 24: Total monthly income distribution 74 Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital .70-78. Income Generation The monthly income of women and men beneficiaries was INR 3.8 percent urban jobs.9 About 3.0 66. Table 12: Distribution of urban and rural jobs in KONBAC enterprise units (%) Unit Packaging unit Furniture unit Crafts unit Construction unit Urban jobs 100. Given that the Mahars are self-employed and bamboo processing and product-making is their traditional and caste profession.500-4. The youth were mostly unemployed.00) if full-time. it is expected that the heightened awareness. there will be a greater percentage of trainees into employed/self-employed jobs.. It would be interesting to compare bamboo construction with conventional construction methods in terms of rural benefit.90. except in the furniture unit where the full-time income was INR 3. and INR 500-750 (USD 11. reorganizing and improving the packaging unit).000 out of the 15.2 percent rural jobs as compared to 33.5 90.000-3.0 33.000 bamboo artisan households have participated in awareness raising events and a smaller set of them in training courses.500 (USD 66. The furniture unit too generated a majority of 66.0 percent rural jobs to 9.70) if part-time.8 6.2 93. through establishment of construction and furniture units.000 Women entrepreneurs 0 0 22.Table 13: Total monthly amount paid to employees and entrepreneurs* Unit Sanitary napkin Packaging Furniture Crafts Construction Total Men employees 7. some of the learning from the Konkan ARS is being implemented in a large tribal development project in Gujarat state in India.000 193.500 for a full-time employee and INR 500 for a part-time entrepreneur.000 227. CIBART and KONBAC. it could have tremendous political and social significance given the problems in Mumbai. in India and abroad. In comparison to employment where 87 percent were employed in rural areas versus 13 percent in urban areas.000 238. which is a partnership of INBAR. KONBAC has provided year-round employment to 189 men who might have otherwise migrated as some had indicated. the Konkan ARS experiences and KONBAC model are likely to have significant relevance for development in Africa and other regions as well.000 222.3 percent in urban areas.500 130. which underpins the Konkan bamboo story and generally the bamboo story in Western India.000 103. The Konkan ARS experience and model has many lessons for other places where bamboo and poor rural people co-exist.000 Women employees 7. Reduced Male Urban Migration By promoting higher-value bamboo industries and the demonstration of a steady and growing market demand. which due to the current option of only seasonal employment in agriculture. the rural-urban and women-men income distribution is more balanced with 54.4 percent versus 44. For example. the Konkan ARS has helped to reduce urban migration among male youths.000 597. Replication.6 percent for men. If this can be taken forward and scaled up.000 70. Upscaling and Relevance for Other regions The Konkan ARS. Given the similarity of the bamboo species.500 0 91. Oxytenanthera stocksii.7 percent in rural areas with 45.000 80. to Oxytenanthera abyssinica that is widespread especially in Eastern Africa. Breaking Barriers and Creating Capital 75 .000 7.000 70.000 49.000 *Calculated at INR 3. Already.500 Men entrepreneurs 0 0 0 0 70.500 Total per month (INR) 14. The total monthly earnings of women is 55.000 0 0 63. which have a majority of men. is a showcase development model of how a sustainable and viable economic system using local bamboo and human resources can be developed with strategic partnerships.000 77.000 49. is very high. . . The Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts of Konkan division pose a development challenge. leading to seasonal migration of males. craft. working to improve bamboo stocks and its diversity. rain-fed. which aimed to enhance rural livelihoods. KONBAC is well on the way to solving these. crosscutting social and economic challenges. India. INBAR and CIBART set up an action research-based development programme for using local bamboos to benefit the poor rural communities in the Konkan division in Maharashtra State. cibart . all of these are commercial enterprises that help promote uptake of bamboobased livelihoods among the local communities. the action research programme relied on training and capacity building of local communities. construction and sanitary napkin enterprise units. male urban migration. while addressing local. The programme also intervened to develop bamboo resources in the area. as the majority of rural residents depend on a single. It set up furniture. The Konkan Bamboo and Cane Development Centre (KONBAC) was established to implement the programme. which is a pilot demonstration. Lack of year-round employment opportunities is a major cause of poverty. such as dependence on rain-fed agriculture. These units provide community members with access to training and equipment. short agriculture season. packaging. and has already emerged as a model that is being emulated elsewhere in India and abroad. With the exception of the sanitary napkin unit. particularly empowering local women as income earners (women comprise two-thirds of the rural workforce). as well as bamboo supply chains and remunerative returns for farmers. caste prejudices and low market demand. the Konkan action research programme has made considerable progress in developing into a self-sustaining institutional ecosystem. The action research programme has incrementally changed social perceptions of bamboo as a cheap and low-class material. Although certain issues relating to working capital and capacity expansion still exist. At present. To promote such changes.In 2003.