Abstract

India harbours large bamboo germplasm and most bamboo growth in the country are through human interventions, particularly in the hilly environment.  The local communities’ associate greater sense of ethics towards this group of plants and are also consumed on a day-to-day basis in different forms. Thus, edible bamboo species gains significance both culturally as well as on economic terms.  The strengths and weaknesses of cultivating edible bamboo as a livelihood option in the north-eastern hill (NEH) region has been elucidated through a SWOT analysis in this paper. Over all, a research and policy framework is warranted and integrates the backward and forward linkages of bamboo resource management with the marketing linkages of edible bamboo for sustainable socio-economic development of the hill communities, particularly in the biodiversity rich north-east hill region of India.