A project at Busitema University refines banana stems to make a spinnable fibre. The fibre can be used for textiles, hair extensions and sanitary pads.
The team received funding from national research bodies and from the UK through the SMEP programme. About three quarters of farmers in Uganda grow bananas and many leave the pseudo-stems to decompose as fertiliser. Researchers found the natural fibre is stiff and coarse, so they developed methods to soften it and spin it into thread. The project works with a textile producer and with the national standards body.
The team also faces legal and market problems: the biotechnology bill is not yet passed, international product codes are unclear, and production costs are high.
Difficult words
- refine — make something cleaner or better by changing itrefines
- fibre — thin strong material from plants or animals
- pseudo-stem — plant part that looks like a stem but isn'tpseudo-stems
- decompose — break down into simpler parts naturally
- soften — make something less hard or rough
- funding — money given to support a project or research
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Discussion questions
- How could using banana stems help farmers?
- Would you buy products made from banana fibre? Why or why not?
- Which problem in the article seems most difficult to solve, and why?
