MOSO is a clear example of how global partnerships create green-growth value chains in bamboo

“MOSO started by trying to find companies in bamboo-producing countries to trade with, but encountered several problems.” René Zaal sums up: “First of all, we found that a business that works in one country does not work exactly the same in another – not just in terms of business operations and management, but also in terms of marketing and customer demands. Besides that, different countries can have different product preferences, traditions, standards and regulations. Finally, there are more than 1600 different bamboo species, not all of which can be used for the same products! This means that, for example, even though China has been using bamboo for diverse products and for centuries, their knowledge and technologies cannot directly be transferred to another country.

Additionally, to transfer technologies and knowledge abroad, businesses need to know what type of local resources are there, but also how these can be managed and utilised depending on the local infrastructure. On a community level, there is also a lack of education on the multiple usages of bamboo. In many developing countries, people view bamboo “as the poor man’s timber”. A local lack of processing or building knowledge leads to fast degradation of bamboo products.”

Another key example of this sort of partnership started this year, with the launch of a Dutch-Sino bamboo project in Africa. The purpose of this project is to develop the bamboo sector in East Africa for the following three years, using Chinese and Dutch expertise in bamboo value chain development, product design, marketing and standardisation. MOSO has an important role to play in terms of sharing ‘lessons learned’ during its own bamboo value chain development. These joint efforts present a concerted effort to use Africa’s bamboo resources to reduce poverty and establish green growth and trade, which would not be possible individually.”

Zaal: “China’s long history in bamboo production means our suppliers have an unparalleled understanding of the resource, its abilities and traditional crafting methods. For MOSO, we have found that Dutch innovation can play a great role in supporting bamboo producer nations. Over the years we have improved product quality – by introducing European machines, technical regulations and quality standards to suppliers – and helped shift the debate from volume-oriented trade to diversification: providing custom-made products for new markets and shifting consumer needs. These include everything from bamboo flooring to customised car interiors.”

With countless reference projects MOSO is recognised as the A-brand in bamboo products.  According to René Zaal: “In terms of materials, we purchase the equivalent of around 800 twenty-foot containers of bamboo per year. This equals around 2000 hectares of bamboo plantation, which in turn provides harvesting and processing activities for over 1000 people working in local communities. We aim for a growth rate of 10-15% in the next five years.”

Arjan adds: “With bamboo being recognised as a sustainable and durable building material, we are only starting to recognise the endless application possibilities. This brings a lot of motivation and gives confidence in a rapid growth in the years to come. MOSO started with 3 persons 20 years ago. We are now working with a team of more than 60 MOSO team members worldwide: 32 in the Netherlands (sales, marketing, finance and logistics, 13 elsewhere in Europe, 4 in South Africa and 15 in China. This number will also grow in the next years.”