Dear Editor,

I read with great interest the Jamaica Observer article on June 15 ‘The real mangrove threat’, reporting the comments of minister with portfolio responsibilities for water, environment, and climate change Matthew Samuda regarding the destruction of Jamaica’s mangroves for charcoal production. The minister is correct that poverty and the demand for charcoal are significant drivers of mangrove loss.

While enforcement against illegal cutting is necessary, Jamaica should also focus on creating practical alternatives that protect the environment while generating sustainable livelihoods.

One such solution is bamboo.

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing renewable resources in the world. Unlike mangroves and many hardwood trees, bamboo can be harvested on a managed cycle and regrows from the same root system without replanting. Jamaica already has significant bamboo resources that could support a sustainable charcoal industry while reducing pressure on our mangrove ecosystems.

The Government should consider making it illegal to use mangroves and other trees for commercial charcoal production while encouraging the establishment of licensed bamboo charcoal and biochar facilities. Such facilities could convert bamboo into high-quality charcoal products for local use and export markets.

In addition, bamboo can be used in coastal protection initiatives. Bamboo fencing and barrier systems can assist in trapping sediment, reducing erosion, and creating conditions that support mangrove restoration projects. When combined with mangrove planting programmes, these measures can help strengthen Jamaica’s coastal resilience against storm surges and climate change impact. Mangroves are already recognised as critical natural barriers that protect coastlines, support fisheries, and store significant amounts of carbon.

A national bamboo charcoal programme would deliver multiple benefits:

• reduced illegal harvesting of mangroves and other forests

• new income opportunities for rural communities

• development of a legal bamboo charcoal export industry

• creation of thousands of jobs across farming, harvesting, transportation, processing, and export

• increased climate resilience and environmental protection

Rather than allowing poverty to drive the destruction of one natural resource, Jamaica has an opportunity to transform another renewable resource into a sustainable economic sector.

Protecting mangroves and developing a bamboo-based charcoal industry are not competing goals, they can work together to create a greener and more prosperous Jamaica.

Gladstone Rose

Chairman

Bamboo Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ)

qsljamaica@gmail.com