Bamboo is changing lives all over the world and as this recent CNN Africa video shows it has also created a whole new industry in Ethiopia. The bamboo trade is growing in size there and some of the products being produces includes bamboo flooring, toothpics and even curtains. Bamboo is also a more sustainability resource than traditional materials such as timber and other hardwoods.  Click below to view the full CNN Africa article plus video:

Ethiopian bamboo: The new green gold of Africa?

"Two-thirds of the bamboo in Africa is situated in the upwardly-mobile state, and it is hoped that "green gold" can power growth."

INBAR estimates that the global market for bamboo is worth $60 billion and rising, a lucrative prospect for Ethiopian businesses, and potentially a major boost for the wider economy.

The bamboo trade will also benefit from its greater sustainability than rival materials such as timber. Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world, capable of growing almost one meter a day, so that stocks can be rapidly regenerated.