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                1. About cork

Cork & the Mediterranean

Woman collecting cork planks during harvest, Portugal .

Wine amphorae sealed with cork were found at Pompeii

Cork oak trees are perfectly adapted to rugged Mediterranean climates and soil conditions, supporting economic activity and great biodiversity.

Cork oak landscapes now cover nearly 30,000 sq km in seven countries: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, and France.

In North Africa cork oak forests are often the means by which rural communities ensure their survival.

A long history
In Spain and Portugal, where cork processing is a highly developed industry, cork oak landscapes are often dominated by a unique pastoral system shaped by humans, combining open woodlands with dense tree cover, and high-quality pastures with rotation crops. This is known as the montado in Portugal and the dehesa in Spain.

The ancient Greeks so revered cork oak trees as symbols of liberty and honour, according to Pliny the Elder, that only priests were allowed to cut them down.

Wine amphorae sealed with cork were found at Pompeii, and the first environmental laws protecting cork oak forests were passed in Portugal in the early 13th century.

But the systematic exploitation of the great cork forests that can still be found on the Iberian peninsula dates only from 18th century, when the production of cork bottle-stoppers became the main objective.

Typical cork oak landscape, Portugal

Habitat mosaics

The cork oak landscapes are mosaics of forest habitats, comprising cork, holm and deciduous oak species, stone and maritime pines, wild olive trees, maquis, and pasture.

The habitats have been ranked among the most valuable in Europe and are listed in the European Council Habitats Directive.

In total the western Mediterranean produces about 300,000 tonnes of cork each year.

Portugal is by far the most important cork producer. About 60 per cent of cork production now comes from there.

Cork oak landscapes are one of the best examples of balanced conservation and development anywhere in the world. They also play a key role in ecological processes such as water retention, soil conservation, and carbon storage.

Their conservation is crucial.

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