Jute: The Golden Fibre's Second Life

A For much of the twentieth century, jute was Bangladesh's most important export. Known as the 'golden fibre' because of its shiny, honey-coloured strands, it was woven into the sacks that carried the world's grain, coffee and cotton. At its peak, the industry employed hundreds of thousands of workers in mills along the banks of the country's rivers, and jute accounted for the majority of its foreign earnings.

B The decline, when it came, was rapid. From the 1970s onwards, cheap sacks made from polypropylene began to replace jute in global markets. Plastic bags were lighter, did not rot when wet, and could be produced in vast quantities at low cost. Many state-owned mills, already burdened with outdated machinery and heavy debts, could not compete. By the early 2000s, a large number had closed, and farmers who had grown jute for generations switched to rice or other crops.

C Growing jute, however, has advantages that are now being recognised again. The plant matures in just four months and needs relatively little fertiliser or pesticide. It absorbs carbon dioxide quickly while it grows, and the leaves that fall during the growing season improve the fertility of the soil. Once harvested, the stalks are soaked in water, a process known as retting, which softens them so that the fibre can be stripped away by hand.

D Concern about plastic pollution has given the industry an unexpected boost. In 2010, the government of Bangladesh introduced a law requiring certain products, including rice, sugar and fertiliser, to be packaged in jute bags. Around the same time, supermarkets in Europe began looking for reusable alternatives to single-use plastic carrier bags, and jute shopping bags became a familiar sight. Demand rose again, though not to the levels of the 1960s.

E Perhaps the most exciting developments are taking place in laboratories. Scientists have developed a method of turning jute cellulose into a thin, transparent sheet that looks and feels like plastic but breaks down in soil within a few months. Known locally as the 'Sonali bag', sonali means 'golden' in Bengali, it has attracted interest from manufacturers abroad. The main obstacle is price: for now, each bag costs several times more to produce than a conventional plastic bag, and factories capable of making it in large quantities have yet to be built.

F Jute is also finding its way into products far removed from sacks and bags. Car manufacturers have used jute fibres to reinforce interior panels, which makes them lighter and therefore helps reduce fuel consumption. Designers are using the fibre to make furniture, rugs and even fashionable shoes. Researchers have also experimented with jute-based geotextiles, mats laid on riverbanks and slopes to prevent soil erosion, a particularly valuable use in a country frequently affected by floods.

G Whether jute can regain anything like its former importance remains uncertain. Farmers say that prices change too much from year to year to make planning easy, and the retting process requires large quantities of clean water, which is becoming scarcer in some regions. Yet many in the industry are optimistic. If the cost of new products can be brought down, the golden fibre may yet enjoy a second life: this time as a solution to an environmental problem rather than a simple packaging material.