What are the most important uses of bamboo?
Because of its strength, flexibility and versatility, the culms have been used mainly in housing and for other construction purposes for centuries, particularly in rural areas. Other uses of bamboo are many and varied. It is used in the making of furniture, handicrafts, basketware, matting, rayon and paper, and is used as food, fodder and fuelwood. In India, for example, much of the pulp used in making paper is from bamboo, just as it is in China. In Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand, shoots of many species are valuable as food. Relatively few species of bamboo are, however, currently used on a commercial scale.
