ABSTRACT
Globalization has been a driving force behind the development of the world's bamboo and rattan sectors since the middle of the nineteenth century, when rattan was exported in bulk to the affluent countries of the West to produce high-quality furniture. Bamboo has traditionally been important for rural dwellers in Asia, Africa and Latin America for whom it has been a source of poles for subsistence use such as shelters and agricultural implements, as well as being used in specific sectors such as incense sticks, and for cultural artefacts such as musical instruments. Although innovation with laminated bamboo has been carried out in many Asian countries, including China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and by the mid 1990s over 30 types of panel products had been developed, it was in China that production started for export markets, and China continues to lead the field today.
