Although bamboo is a plant that has been grown and harvested in China for generations, it occurs only within a smallholder model. There are few commercial or large scale managed plantations. The majority of area under bamboo comprises plots of a few Mu in size, owned by individual farmers or families, and managed as part of a
diverse mix of livelihood crops. Throughout China bamboo has been planted only in areas not suitable for agriculture, which generally mean mountainous land that is often inaccessible. Most of China's bamboo industry is focused on a single iconic species –
Moso (Phyllostachys edulis) The processing of bamboo in China is dominated by low and medium level processing, with a large focus on two very different markets (1) the global handicraft industry and (2) the production of
edible bamboo shoots for the food industry. In recent years there has been an increase in the production of
bamboo flooring. EcoPlanet Bamboo is working in a different manner growing certified bamboo fiber for the
pulp and paper industry, textiles and
engineered timber. ==Historical barriers to industrialization==