Sustaining Land with Bamboo Shoots: New Livelihood for Bru-Van Kieu Women in Quang Tri

In Truong Son Commune (Quang Tri), an area affected by mining activities, a bamboo shoot cultivation model is opening up new livelihood opportunities for the Bru-Van Kieu community. With support from Oxfam in Vietnam, local people are gradually gaining access to technical knowledge, participating in value chains, and stabilizing their incomes.

Phan Anh

April 17, 2026 | 14:50

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Clusters of bamboo shoots have begun to grow on land that was once difficult to cultivate in Hang Chuon (Truong Son Commune). According to Oxfam in Vietnam, this area was previously directly impacted by mining operations, with dust covering crops and preventing many fruit trees from growing.

Sustaining Land with Bamboo Shoots: New Livelihood for Bru-Van Kieu Women in Quang Tri

Ho Thi Tuong (left) livestreams to sell products on social media, expanding distribution channels. (Photo: Oxfam in Vietnam)

As a result, livelihoods were heavily dependent on the forest. For Ho Thi Tuong (a Bru-Van Kieu woman from Truong Son Commune), collecting wild bamboo shoots used to be one of the most physically demanding tasks.

“The forest is very far away. From home to where we collect bamboo shoots, it’s about 7 km, then 10 km, even up to 15 km… We had to go very far and work very hard to find them,” she said.

The “Livelihood support in mining areas” project is an initiative under the Fair for All program, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by Oxfam in Vietnam and its partners from 2021 to 2025. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of social organizations to participate in and contribute to green economic development, build more sustainable and inclusive value chains, and enable vulnerable communities, particularly women, ethnic minorities, and other disadvantaged groups, to access sustainable livelihood opportunities while protecting the environment.

Within this context, the bamboo shoot cultivation model has been introduced locally under the “Livelihood support in mining areas” project, supported by Oxfam in Vietnam through the Truong Xuan Giang Bamboo Shoot Cooperative. The project began by assessing local needs and selecting crops suitable for the area’s conditions.

“The project conducted outreach and asked whether we wanted to grow bamboo shoots. I joined right away,” Tuong said.

According to her, bamboo is well-suited to the local natural conditions, while many fruit trees can no longer thrive due to dust from mining activities. Her family received support in the form of seedlings, fertilizers, and detailed technical guidance, from planting methods to care processes.

In the initial period, bamboo shoot cultivation faced numerous challenges due to heavy rains, which caused waterlogging and root rot. After about one to two years, the plants gradually stabilized and adapted better to water-abundant conditions.

The implementation process also fostered stronger community bonds. Households supported one another with seedlings, techniques, and production experience. At the same time, local people received training in bamboo shoot processing and product development, gradually becoming part of the value chain instead of relying solely on natural harvesting as before. From raw bamboo shoots, products are now pre-processed, packaged, labeled, and traceable. With the support of the project, the Cooperative submitted its application and obtained OCOP certification in December 2025.

“Before, when I collected wild bamboo shoots, I only posted them on Facebook or sold them at local markets… Now, selling to the Cooperative brings in more profit,” Tuong said.

Participating in the project also helped her change her approach to the market, from hesitation to proactively selling and connecting with customers. She began livestreaming and posting sales content; there were times when customers refused to buy due to concerns about quality, which made her sad, but she reassured herself: “I’m selling clean bamboo shoots, what do I have to be afraid of!”

Her family has also adjusted its production strategy to be more flexible, combining different crops to ensure both short-term income and long-term stability.

“My husband supports my participation. He said, ‘Just join. The more you participate, the more you learn.’ Compared to before, it’s easier now - I don’t have to go far into the forest to collect bamboo shoots. The project may end, but this work must continue. If I see that bamboo shoot cultivation is developing, then I also need to keep improving myself to keep selling them,” Tuong shared.

Technical support is extremely important!

“I had never grown bamboo shoots before - this is my first time. My family decided to join the project to reduce poverty. By participating, we received seedlings at no cost. We didn’t have to spend any money - the project’s support alone already made us very happy. The project staff are knowledgeable, and they were able to pass on technical skills to us. This technical support is extremely important. Farming without proper techniques is essentially ineffective. If you work carelessly, you may end up even poorer.

With the project, we can work around our homes, which is less physically demanding. Before, we had to do hired labor. Now, I can see that in the future, a whole day of outside work may not equal the income from cultivating and harvesting bamboo shoots near home. Just stepping outside, harvesting and selling them brings in money - we no longer have to go into the forest. Even on rainy or stormy days, we can harvest near home; in just an hour, we can gather around ten kilograms.

We simply follow the project’s guidance and start with small-scale trials. If it works, we can expand later. It’s an opportunity - just give it a try. When I first started planting, I felt it was quite normal, nothing to be nervous about (laughs).”

Ho Van La, participant in the bamboo shoot cultivation project, Truong Son Commune, Quang Tri Province.

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