Enhancing the value of cork oaks and associated biodiversity is one of the central pillars of CORTICEIRA AMORIM's sustainability strategy. An award for best cork oak forest management practices, free technical advisory services for forest producers and a research award in the field of cork oak sustainability are the initiatives which have been implemented with the aim of creating a sustainable value chain.
Improve cork oak forest areas which are improperly managed. Cork stripping techniques, soil disturbance and livestock farming, which lead to diseases and pests, create conditions which result in the deterioration of the trees.
Fight the reduction of forest areas, which results in more floods, less productive soil and increased carbon emissions, while also threatening the economic and social activities associated with them, in particular the jobs created by this sector.
The company
CORTICEIRA AMORIM, S.G.P.S., S.A. is the world's largest producer of cork products and one of the most international of all Portuguese companies, with subsidiaries in dozens of countries on all continents, generating yearly sales of 495 million euros to clients in over 100 countries.
Organised into five Business Units (BU) - Raw Materials, Cork Stoppers, Floor and Wall Coverings, Composite Cork and Insulation Cork - CORTICEIRA AMORIM offers a vast portfolio of high-quality products for use in industries as diverse and demanding as aeronautics, auto, construction and winegrowing, resulting from significant investment in Research & Development.
Cork and Environmental Value
The cork production process causes no damage to the trees, and does not require the creation of on-site infrastructure. Over the years, it is estimated to have resulted in the preservation of over 60 million trees in their natural state. Portugal possesses an ecosystem with a range of biodiversity unprecedented in Europe, forming the basis of one of the world's 34 biodiversity hotspots. Also noteworthy is the role of the cork oak as a barrier against desertification, of extreme importance in northern Africa and southern Europe, including Portugal.
Promoting sustainability in the value chain
CORTICEIRA AMORIM, although not an owner of forest land, is one of the main promoters of the FSC® Forest Stewardship Council certification in Portugal, being responsible for the certification of the first factories in the cork sector. The implementation of good practices, e.g. by means of the certification of Forestry Management Systems, contributes towards sustainable management of cork oak forests and woodlands. These practices will help to create increased economic value for forestry producers, while at the same time reducing negative environmental effects.
The return on this investment by CORTICEIRA AMORIM is intangible and difficult to quantify, but the promotion of initiatives aimed at the adoption of good practices for responsible management of cork oak forests and associated biodiversity is a major step in the development of sustainable value chains, one of CORTICEIRA AMORIM's strategic goals in the field of sustainability.
Initiatives aimed at increasing sustainability in the value chain
As part of the Business & Biodiversity initiative, in 2007 CORTICEIRA AMORIM entered into an agreement with the Portuguese Forest Authority, the Institute for Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity, Quercus and the WWF, targeting the owners of cork oak forests located in Portugal. The aims of the agreement were to:
Baeta Neves Centre for Applied Ecology wins research award
CORTICEIRA AMORIM awards the "Sustainability of the Cork Oak and Associated Biodiversity" prize to a study on the impacts of grazing on cork oak forests.
In 2008, CORTICEIRA AMORIM held the first edition of the Research Competition "Sustainability of the Cork Oak and Associated Biodiversity", which received 13 submissions from different research centres.
The prize was awarded to the Baeta Neves Centre for Applied Ecology, for the project "Grazing exclusion and the biodiversity of cork oak forests: reasons for using rotation grazing", which explored the effects of grazing on the animal and plant biodiversity of cork oak forests. On the basis of the research presented, the effects on cork oak forests of preventing grazing for periods of at least six years can be accurately forecast.
Technical advisory service reaches 17,000 hectares.
The technical advisory service, entirely financed by CORTICEIRA AMORIM, proved highly popular among producers and managers of cork oak forest areas. During the first edition, held in 2008 and early 2009, applications were received from 25 estates, corresponding to around 8 thousand hectares of cork oak forests. By the end of 2010 (including 2008 and 2009), applications corresponding to around 16,500 hectares were received, and 25 technical inspections were carried out, most of them subsequently followed by FSC® certification. In 2011, over 1,200 hectares were covered by the service, resulting in a total of 17,500 hectares assessed so far. These figures illustrate the positive outcome of this measure aimed at promoting good practices in the management of forest areas and biodiversity.
Herdade do Conqueiro wins award for best cork oak management practices
Herdade do Conqueiro, located in the municipality of Avis, was the winner of the second edition of this prize. The estate stood out from among the five finalists for its best practices with regard to species and habitat management,maintenance of ponds, water courses and associated vegetation, conservation and soil improvement measures, and its innovative management plan. The set of best practices it has in place enables Herdade do Conqueiro to harmoniously coordinate cork production, agriculture and livestock with management practices which contribute towards preserving the ecosystem.
The second edition of the prize awarded an honourable mention to Herdade da Sanguinheira, in the municipality of Abrantes, for solutions implemented with regard to the planning and management of its cork oak forests, cork stripping practices and forest infrastructure criteria and planning.
The prize was launched by CORTICEIRA AMORIM in 2009 with the aim of promoting and rewarding forestry businesses which develop and implement management practices for cork oak areas assessed as exemplary. The first edition of the prize, with ten contenders, was awarded to Herdade da Machoqueira do Grou, located in the dry lands of the Ribatejo region.
In conjunction with the award ceremony, the good practices upon which the jury's decision was based were presented and disseminated, in the hope that they will be adopted by as many forest producers as possible.
Although certification of the management system is not among the competition criteria, properties with FSC® certification tend to follow best practices in the sustainable management of cork oaks and associated biodiversity. Accordingly, since the initiative was launched, it has always been the case that the best practice awards (Herdade do Conqueiro and Herdade da Machoqueira do Grou) and honourable mentions have gone to certified properties which comply with FSC® principles and criteria for responsible forestry management.
