Consumers are increasingly concerned of sustainability of wine, production process and the raw materials, including cork used for bottle closure. In the recent years natural cork has gained market share from unsustainable plastic corks, not only in the premium wines but in all categories, and this trend is likely to continue. Natural cork increases value of the wine, reduces the carbon footprint and conserves the taste of the wine. There is no better solution than natural cork for wine bottles.
Importance of ecosystem services is increasing in the cork oak forests, climate change mitigation and also biodiversity conservation are important. There is a target to double the certified cork oak forest area by 2027, which will help to pay for these ecosystem services thanks to price premiums in the markets. Further, densification of degraded cork oak forests is the most studied option for carbon sequestration monetisation in these ecosystems, but also planting of new cork oak forests is possible. Densification of a cork oak forest means sacrificing other short term revenue streams, such as animal pasture, but will result in additional and permanent carbon sequestration.
Dasos is managing cork oak forests in the Iberian peninsula with respect to local traditions, sustainability and with a long term value development perspective. This means enhancing the biodiversity values, production of high-quality cork for the growing markets and certifying the cork oak forests with highest standards.
Dasos participated in the Global Cork Conference 2023 in Portugal, on 5th of May 2023, organised by APCOR, the Portuguese Cork Association and delivered a key note presentation on the role of cork forests as an investment.
For more information, please contact Tapani Pahkasalo tapani.pahkasalo@dasos.fi
