Overview
Building on insights from the Singapore Fintech Festival’s design thinking session, a follow-up workshop was held on 11 April 2025 at the Fullerton Hotel, Singapore, with the goal of identifying scalable, investment-ready solutions for bamboo agroforestry in the Philippines, and potential applications across other ADB Developing Member Countries (DMCs). By bringing together a diverse mix of experts from government, finance, impact investing, fintech, climate technology, agroforestry, geospatial, and digital innovation, the session encouraged dynamic, cross-sector discussions that helped shape actionable next steps for positioning bamboo agroforestry as a secure, bankable, and tradable asset that supports net-zero goals, sustainable growth, and improved livelihoods across the region.
As a lead-in to the workshop, a roundtable on bamboo programs and innovations took place on 10 April 2025 at the Ibis Bencoolen Hotel, Singapore. The event featured a keynote on blockchain solutions for smallholder farmers, national industry roadmap presentations from Nepal and the Philippines, and a discussion on opportunities for cross-country collaboration. Other sessions spotlighted sustainable bamboo construction, digital carbon monetization platforms, and the application of Earth Observation and GIS technologies for strengthening bamboo value chains. This roundtable set the groundwork for future pilot projects and regional initiatives, further positioning bamboo as a strategic, investment-ready solution for climate resilience and sustainable development.
GIC’s Participation
GIC’s Senior Research Specialist, Mr. Syams Nashrrullah was invited as one of the speakers for the event titled “From Roots to Revenue: Securing Finance and Climate Solutions Through Agroforestry The Case of Bamboo” on 11 April 2025. Mr. Nashrrullah presented alongside Mr. Thibaud Vantalon from the Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) on Earth Observation and GIS Solutions: Potential Use Cases for the Bamboo Industry. The presentation shares details on geospatial techniques and lessons learned on the application for high-value commodities like coffee; and to discuss adoption of geospatial techniques to support natural capital opportunities, carbon, ecosystem services and regenerative agroforestry.