CORTICEIRA AMORIM is promoting a second series of the award, worth EUR 5000, aimed at distinguishing forest owners using best practices in sustainable cork forest management and associated biodiversity.
This award has been launched with a view to distinguishing farmers and forest owners using best practices in the management and enhancement of cork oak forests and associated biodiversity. This award is the result of an agreement entered into by CORTICEIRA AMORIM, the Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (ICBN), the National Forest Authority (AFN), Quercus and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) within the "Business & Biodiversity" initiative framework.
Another aim of this award created in 2009 is to share and disseminate successful examples of sustainable management. Machoqueira do Grou Estate was the first award winner to be distinguished; this estate stands as an excellent paradigm for intelligent and dynamic planning promoting the sustainability of the cork oak forest - one of the few ecosystems that combines a sustainable economic activity with the promotion and preservation of biodiversity.
The conservation of biological diversity contributes significantly to the enhancement of cork forests and their economic sustainability. From an economic point of view, just as cork is essential for the preservation of the cork oak, the cork oak is important for the conservation of the biodiversity associated with the cork forest; biodiversity also plays a critical role in maintaining thriving cork oaks and cork forests.
The provision of a free technical advisory service to cork forest owners and farmers is another important measure being implemented within the "Business & Biodiversity" initiative framework. Forest producers interested in applying online for this service for 2011 should access our website http://www.amorim.com/cor_sustentabilidade_iniciativas.php . This advisory service got strong support between 2008 and 2010: several applications in respect of approx. 16 500 ha of cork forest were received and 25 scoping visits were conducted and, in most cases, a FSC® certification was awarded.
