On TBS’s program “Earth Lab” (23:24 – 23:40 Kanto and Kansai local broadcasting), we were introduced to banana paper.

The following is an excerpt from the introduction of the program contents.

EARTH Lab -Thinking about the Next 100 Years-

In order to think about the earth 100 years from now, “numbers that represent the current state of the world” are introduced each time. The figures present problems such as the global environment, energy, food, and poverty.

We will introduce the efforts of those who are tackling these issues and those who are trying to open up the future of the earth 100 years from now.

This time, the figure is “5.2 million hectares”. It is the area of forests that has been decreasing in one year in the world.

Satoko Ekberg, who is working on environmental issues, is trying to spread banana paper, which is made from banana stems.

In Zambia, Africa, fibers are extracted from banana stems that are otherwise discarded to make paper.

The work is carried out by local residents suffering from poverty. “Banana Paper” has the potential to solve environmental and poverty problems at the same time.