Laos

Plural and Just Values of Bamboo in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) 

Postdoctoral Researcher Violeta Gutiérrez Zamora 

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This research aims to better understand the socio-cultural significance attributed to bamboo and its value-chains in Lao PDR and how the plural values of bamboo could be considered in sustainable development policies and projects. The context of global increasing demand for bamboo and international development interventions provides a fertile ground for investigating how bamboo species are valued, not only in economic terms but also culturally, aesthetically, and ecologically at different scales and geographies. Furthermore, it becomes fundamental to examine how these plural values could be included in sustainable development programs and policies.  

The research will generate an analytical framework to intertwine and include the plural values of nature in the (re)production of bamboo value chains. The study aims to support academics, civil servants, and non-governmental actors in considering the wide range of values in decision-making for a more inclusive and just forest governance.