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Responsible Forestry

Cork Supply is committed to responsible stewardship of the Mediterranean forests that produce our corks. For centuries, alongside herbs, mushrooms and wild and domesticated animals and plants, skilled cork growers have sustainably harvested cork bark from delicately balanced montado (cork tree) forests, protecting what the WWF has called “one of the finest examples of a system which perfectly balances the needs of both humans and nature”. These stewards cultivated an ideal, renewable resource that supported their livelihoods and market demand without sacrificing their environment or the ability of future generations to follow in their footsteps.

Armed with this spirit of our predecessors plus the advantages of 21st century knowledge, innovation and collaboration, Cork Supply considers it an essential part of our mission to ensure we meet our generation's needs today in a manner that does not compromise our future generations' ability to meet their needs tomorrow.

As a leading supplier of natural cork, we want our customers and consumers to have complete assurance that natural corks supplied by Cork Supply are sustainably and ethically sourced. We consider our proactive role in this area especially necessary because, as the WWF verifies, montado cork forests:

support one of the world's highest levels of forest biodiversity, including the highest diversity of plants found anywhere the world
offer irreplaceable sanctuary to millions of wintering birds, and vital habitat for a native wildlife population that includes several highly endangered bird and animal species
provide an essential, sustainable income source that supports local industry, traditional cultures and family livelihoods
function as massive carbon sinks, naturally sequestering and providing critical long-term storage for the dangerous atmospheric carbon greenhouse gasses (GHG) that impact climate change
play a key role in critical ecological processes, including water retention, fire prevention and soil conservation
defend European landscapes against creeping desertification and consequent depopulation, poverty and loss of vital ecological biodiversity
are one of the best examples of balanced conservation and development anywhere in the world.

FSC® & Woodmark

Cork Supply operations in Portugal — which provide 100% of the natural corks Cork Supply sells around the world — are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and Soil Association Woodmark (Woodmark) for making and trading in sustainable corks from responsibly managed forests.

The FSC® is an independent, not for profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests. The FSC®'s rigorous criteria are the only internationally valid standards for responsible forest management that place equal emphasis on social, environmental and industry interests. To earn FSC® certification, Cork Supply has demonstrated a proven commitment to indigenous peoples' rights, long-term economic viability, sustainable environmental impact and protection of wildlife.

FSC® certification is part of a global program that also includes product labeling to help consumers identify products from responsibly managed woodlands. Cork Supply customers can use FSC®-certified natural corks not only to help meet their winery's own sustainability goals, but also to communicate to retailers and consumers — via the globally recognized FSC® trademark — that their wine has been sealed with a 100% natural, renewable, recyclable and biodegradable cork that was sustainably grown and harvested from a responsibly managed forest.

Cork Supply is encouraged in our FSC® advocacy, both by steadily increasing consumer and business demand for natural and sustainable products and packaging, and by the increasing numbers of forests and companies undertaking the strict assessment and compliance requirements to achieve FSC® certification. Though demand for FSC®-certified cork currently outstrips supply, Cork Supply is working one-on-one with cork growers to increase the number of eligible and certified forests for future harvests.

The FSC® system is supported by numerous environmental organizations, including WWF, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, as well as major companies, trade unions and social groups worldwide. For more information on the FSC®, visit www.fsc.org.

Woodmark is the Soil Association's international forestry and chain of custody certification program. Globally respected as an innovative world leader in forest certification, Woodmark was one of the first organizations to achieve FSC® accreditation in 1996. For more information on Woodmark and the Soil Association's other sustainable, organic farming initiatives, visit www.soilassociation.org.