Our Mission

The World Bamboo Organization is a diverse group consisting of individual people, commercial businesses, non-profit associations, institutions, and allied trade corporations that all share a common interest = BAMBOO. The purpose of the WBO is to improve and promote this common interest, as well as the conditions affecting, and the industry surrounding, this common interest. We are dedicated to promoting the use of bamboo and bamboo products for the sake of the environment and economy.

We are a United States tax-exempt trade association (U.S. 501-c6, est. 2005) formed to facilitate the exchange of information from around the world on the environmental, socioeconomic, biological, and cultural aspects of bamboo. By bringing together local and regional bamboo people and creating mechanisms for global communications, the WBO’s goal is to facilitate the development of new partnerships and alliances to advance the causes of bamboo and furthering the efforts of bamboo practitioners worldwide. We play a crucial networking role by connecting people for useful collaborations on all things related to bamboo.

Originally founded as the International Bamboo Association (IBA), the idea for an international coordinating body for bamboo practitioners was born out of discussions at the 1991 International Bamboo Workshop in Chiangmai, Thailand.

The IBA was consequently established at the 1992 International Bamboo Congress in Japan. Through 1998, the IBA had been the coordinating platform for bamboo people around the world, with its primary responsibility being the International Bamboo Congress & International Bamboo Workshop. A union of these two distinct gatherings is today called the World Bamboo Congress, and has lead to the re-birth of the IBA into the World Bamboo Organization.

The founding members of the WBO include Susanne Lucas (USA), I.V. Ramanuja Rao (India), Karina Quintans (USA), David Flanagan (USA), Carmelita Bersalona (Philippines), Amin Samuel Zacca (Ghana), Jorge Campos (Chile), Victor Brias (Belgium).

Dedicated volunteers administer our organization. An Honorary Council was established in 2005 to support WBO with professional consultation and expertise, in the field as well as in the conference room. The Honorary Council has evolved and has been re-named to better reflect the horizontal structure of our collaborations in the name of bamboo. We are now collectively called Bamboo Ambassadors

Michel Abadie (Paris, France) served his first term as President from 2010-2012, and was reappointed a second term in 2013-2015. Kamesh Salam (Assam, India) served as President 2007-2009. Susanne Lucas is the CEO.

World Bamboo Congress

Apart from our day-to-day networking activities, every 3 to 4 years WBO organizes a World Bamboo Congress, (WBC) which is the culmination of our efforts to physically unite bamboo enthusiasts and professionals. In the name of bamboo, we bring people from around the world together to meet, discuss, network, collaborate, and exchange with the intention of improving understanding and stimulating potential. Ever since its inception in Puerto Rico in 1984, each World Bamboo Congress has convened a vast array of individuals, institutions, businesses, and decision makers, and has created new partnerships that have made a real difference for the environment, people and communities around the world. These events have been uniquely informative, educational, culturally and intellectually challenging. The events highlight the state-of-the-art in bamboo science, technology and industry.

World Bamboo Day

Additionally, we sponsor celebrations, workshops, festivals, conferences, seminars, road races and competitions in honor of World Bamboo Day, annually the week of September 18. For more information, go to our World Bamboo Day page and also our news stories relating to World Bamboo Day.