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Philippines Bamboo Entrepreneur Digs In on Poverty and Climate Threats

Reuters

   LONDON - Mark Sultan Gersava grew up in poverty, one of 12 children of
   a slash-and-burn subsistence farmer in the Philippines province of
   Sultan Kudarat.

   Today he is the "chief executive farmer" of a company aimed at tackling
   that same poverty, and combating climate change at the same time.

   His firm Bambuhay helps farmers shift from slash-and-burn agriculture -
   which accounts for about a third of deforestation in the Philippines -
   to growing bamboo, now in demand as an alternative material to
   throw-away plastic.

   The company, now in its second year of operation, makes popular bamboo
   straws, toothbrushes, tumblers, and bamboo-based charcoal briquettes,
   to replace those made from wood.

   So far Bambuhay has sold nearly 400,000 reuseable bamboo straws,
   Gersava said.

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