Bamboo is becoming increasingly popular as a crop due to its versatile nature and the environmental benefits that come from growing it.  Bamboo does not require pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals to thrive; the soil is protected from erosion, and maintains its nutrients when bamboo is grown; and bamboo absorbs greenhouse gases from the environment. Bamboo is a plant that can be used for a variety of products, which means the entire plant can be used, and this creates jobs in areas that desperately need this type of economic stability.

Crops such as cotton and corn are called cash crops and they require pesticides and fertilizers that damage the environment for years. Bamboo can survive and thrive on its own, which means no chemicals will be leaking into the air or soil.  Another disadvantage of cash crops is that they deplete the nutrients in the soil due to constant harvesting. Bamboo isolates the nitrogen in the soil so that it is not depleted, and it does not add extra chemicals to the environment. Similar to trees bamboo produces oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide, however in higher amounts. Both of these factors aid in combating climate change.

A big advantage of bamboo is that it is a renewable resource, meaning that after it is harvested a new shoot will grow from its roots. This means that there is no deforestation, unlike when traditional trees are harvested. Each week roughly 1 million acres of forests are lost to deforestation due to the harvesting of traditional wood. Deforestation causes other significant issues such as drought and environmental decline, and causes a fifth of global carbon emissions. The growth rate of bamboo is also significantly faster than most plants with some species maturing in six years, which means that more plants can be grown in a significantly smaller space.  Typical hardwood forests take up to 40 years to fully mature, so recent efforts to reverse deforestation won’t be fulfilled for decades.

Bamboo roots are a highly important part of the plant. One of the jobs that these roots do is suck heavy metals from the land, which makes the soil hospitable for new crops. This means that new plants can be grown in an area that was once hostile to new growth, and also allows water to be drawn to the surface. In arid regions that are plagued by drought bamboo can thrive, which means that it preserves the moisture in the soil. In areas that rely on farming this is highly important, because it creates new crops and healthy soil.

Hardwood forests are frequently clear-cut, and cause erosion when the stumps are burnt.  The eroded soil is then washed into rivers and streams, which causes serious issues for the people and animal living downstream due to clogged rivers and contaminated water. Bamboo stumps are not burnt because their roots remain in place after harvesting, and the forests are not clear cut, providing much needed relief to the environment. Planting bamboo on a steep slope or riverbank can prevent mudslides and erosion, meaning that bamboo actually protects the environment from further damage.

Bamboo is an extremely versatile plant and can replace the use of wood for everything from paper to building materials. Bamboo is stronger than wood, which makes it perfect for building furniture and other textiles. The entire plant is used after harvesting, which means that there is very little waste following production. This combats the problem of pulp run off, which is an environmental concern due to the chemicals that are involved in the process.

The economic benefits from the production of bamboo are highly important in countries that are affected by high unemployment rates. In countries where civil unrest is a constant threat the production of bamboo crops and the creation of products creates economic stability. The spin offs from this stability can be felt in many areas, including the environment. Civil unrest can create environmental damage which is felt for generations.

Bamboo is a plant that is slowly becoming a replacement for trees. As more countries are investigating the benefits of bamboo growth and production more benefits will emerge. Countries such as Ethiopia  who faced a deforestation crisis discovered that using bamboo as a heat source and an income source helped stabilize their rural economies. Counteracting global warming will require more than just growing bamboo, but the immediate benefits are obvious: reversing and preventing soil erosion, no use of pesticides, and versatility. Bamboo is powerhouse crop that is slowly replacing trees.