Second world producer, 70,000 tons and 630 million euros per year. They are the current figures of cork production in Spain, according to data the sector data. But, although the position in the ranking is maintained, after Portugal, the concern among the producers is important. Because since the 80s there has been a continuous decrease until reaching 30% less.
Its use, however, is not in decline. In its natural form or in various granules and agglomerates, the chemical physical properties of the cork make it suitable in applications that cover construction, including naval and machinery, the cold industry, car and aeronautical accessories, the chemical industry and pharmaceutical, footwear and fashion accessories, printing and in the manufacture of sporting articles. And, of course, the majority: the plugs.
In addition, as Francisco Blanco explains, an alcornocal expert and COSE advisor (Confederation of Silvicular Organizations of Spain), «the corklore are territories with a rich biodiversity, which provide ecosystem services, such as setting carbon, retaining water, barrier against the Forest fires, produce pastures for cattle and house hunting cabin. And maintain rural employment. In short, -concludes white -benefits that are not quantified, but very important ».
Those 70,000 tons of cork, the cortex of the cork oaks, are extracted from the almost half a million hectares of corners in Spain, mostly in Andalusia, -with Cádiz and Malaga at the head-, Extremadura and Catalonia.
The decline of cork production in Spain is due to a combination of causes: the fungi causing dry, -a disease that weakens the cork oaks-, the maturity of the alcornocals, climate change, droughts and material competition cheaper but oil derived. The decrease in cork production, in addition to ecosystem values, harms forest owners, to the crews that work in the extraction of the cork and the various industries associated with this material.
A transformative project
To mitigate this situation, the Futurecork Project is being developed, which is framed in the recovery, transformation and resilience (PRTR) plan, funded by the Biodiversity Foundation, and one of whose partners is COSE, (Confederation of Silviculs Organizations of Spain) .
With him it is about “recovering and enhancing the forest use of the Mediterranean mountain, the promotion of bioeconomy, disseminating the qualities of the cork as a natural resource of biological origin and adapting the situation of the corchero sector to the ecological, economic and social reality”, states white.
The project plans to develop 16 work actions. Experimental include evidence of different repopulation and regeneration techniques of forests and forest treatments. Others are focused on the use of cork by -products. For example, collection of caps to recycle.
Likewise, it is expected to advance in knowledge of forest pathologies, such as phytophthora cinnamomi pests, causing dry, “a fungus of the soil, which is filtered through the water tables, adheres to the roots that cannot absorb the nutrients of the nutrients of the soil and the tree ends up drying ».
The weather stations will also allow to collect data to “know better how temperature, humidity, rain and wind influence another explosion of another threat of the cork oak: the hairy lizard. A lepidopter that feeds on leaves, weakens the tree and causes very important damage, but has little studied behavior ».
These actions are carried out in farm farms of Alcornocales who “are suffering from a reality that surpasses them.” For Blanco «this project is a contribution to the great objective of recovering that singular Mediterranean mountain that is the alcornocal. And reverse a situation in which we have more demand than
that we can supply. In fact, Corcheras Industries have lost important contracts for not being able to guarantee the long -term supply ».