Providing a platform for increased dialogue between East African bamboo producers and investors and consumers from Africa, EU, China and multilateral funds

East African bamboo companies display their products and meet with investors and consumers via 5 international, regional and national trade fairs/forums/congresses held in China (1), EU (1), Ethiopia (1), Kenya and Uganda (1) over the course of the project. Moso international and other interested Dutch and Chinese companies will also be able to use these events as a platform for building relations and trade partnerships. These events will include an China-EU-East Africa Forum meeting held in the Netherlands in partnership with Wageningen UR, as well as significant presence at the first International Bamboo and Rattan Congress in Beijing in September 2017; 1 East Africa bamboo investor study tour held in year 3 of the project for African, Chinese, Dutch, and multilateral investment funds; East African bamboo companies and, or, Governments supported to develop at least 3 loan/grant proposals for multilateral funds, such as the CFC and IFAD. Overall, the programme co-organised side event in two international congress / forum: Bamboost conference at WUR, the Netherlands; and the Bamboo and Rattan Congress: BARC 2018 at P.R. of China. The programme also participated in 3rd International Conference on Bamboo Application at China, jointly organised by INBAR, Fujian University and WUR. The programme organised / facilitated participation in 13 national / regional level trade fairs and most importantly the programme organised one investor study tour along with stakeholder consultant meeting at Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda with participation of 106 stakeholders. In total, three grant / loan project was prepared and submitted. Out of which one grant is currently under implementation and another grant proposal is in final stages of approval.