Sustainability

The extraction of cork and its related industries are remarkably sustainable, since the tree is never cut down or damaged during the harvesting process and the bark regenerates itself after each extraction.

The cork oak forest is essential for the economic development of rural areas in the Mediterranean region, by creating jobs and activities related to the harvesting and treatment of cork. WWF estimates that more than 100.000 people are economically dependent of cork-related business activities.

More than a job, harvesting is a handcraft work that requires a deep knowledge of the forest and the technique. Thus to be able to perform this activity takes several years of training, a know-how that crosses family generations. Cork harvesting is a regular and cyclical process, creating a continuous activity that contributes to settle people in areas at risk of desertification.