Nature vs Business Written by Judeline Meintjes. http://www.imitationbamboo.net Nature is wonderful but not exactly perfect. It moves at the speed of nature, not business. I chose bamboo as my example because although it can be used as food, it is also widely used throughout the world for various projects. Some are: art, clothes, fencing, tropical designs, decorating, etc. Also, some stalks of bamboo grow almost overnight while others take years to complete their growth cycle. The bamboo used in business is obviously in demand and therefore many farmers rely on nature to deliver the quantities and qualities required by business. The exotic bamboo and its beautiful colors are also in demand yet they need special climates, time and nourishment and hopefully a kind hand from nature. Unfortunately nature interferes with business and often it is not kind at all. You see nature, as in sun, water and soil, is always in the process of change. Sunlight can be dimmed for days when clouds gather. Sometimes rain comes down in sheets, or rivers, while other times the clouds hold back their moisture and deny the bamboo the life-blood it needs to sustain itself. Nature fluctuates between drought and flood, between famine and over-production, between sunlight and overcast days when the UV rays cannot break through to the plants. These fluctuations definitely affect the bamboo. If the stalks grow sporadically, their nodes are set apart at varying distances. Colors change slightly depending on the amount of sunlight and UV rays actually received and processed into food. Bamboo grows thick and tall if sufficient nourishment, sunlight and water is delivered in the correct quantities. Yet, maybe a few miles down the road, bamboo withers from lack of nourishment. At another farm the stalks might refuse to thicken because, instead, it uses its nourishment and strength to strive for height so that it can reach sunlight. It fights for survival among its brethren that now grows profusely and overshadows the shorter plants, cutting off their sunlight. Due to the sheer number of bamboo stalks vying for the sun, some will wither and die, while others will never thicken to the required thickness. Water might flood the soil and run away with the nourishment, or remain in sufficient quantity to feed the root system just at the right time for the bamboo to grow tall, strong, healthy, and to the required thickness. On the other hand, depending on how nature treats the bamboo, its stalks might not grow straight enough for business. They might need to divert, bend or fold with the wind and lack of strength and might settle into a bent and twisted stalk, totally unacceptable for business use. Nature is fickle. In business today we can no longer rely on the ever-changing conditions of the bionetwork. In business we demand specific thicknesses of bamboo, specific colors and specific lengths. We insist that these items are available as and when we require them. We also need to be reassured that
buying one stalk of bamboo today will be exactly the same as the stalk we buy in a few months time. For business, we want the colors to be the same, too, preferably so close that putting two bamboo stalks together we shouldn't easily be able to discern the difference between the newest bamboo and the older stalk we kept as a reference. In business we need 'exact', 'specific', 'same', 'immediate' and 'available'. Business cannot return to nature, to wait and hope, or even to leave these worries at the door of the farmer who may or may not be able to deliver the enormity in numbers and the desired superiority that business demands. In business we need the surety that a manufacturer will be able to deliver. Imitation bamboo can deliver these qualities, quantities and sureties. There is a company that delivers imitation bamboo for business, at the speed of business. They are also the SOLE manufacturer of Bamfaux (the name of faux bamboo or imitation bamboo) in the United States. You can visit their website at http://www.imitationbamboo.net.