Portuguese cork firm uncaps campaign to save trees
LISBON (Reuters Life!) - The world's leading cork maker has launched a campaign against the increasing use of screw caps and plastic stoppers in wine bottles, which it says is a threat to Portugal's forests of cork oaks.
Portugal's Amorim Corticeira argues that using only cork stoppers would ensure the survival of the forests and sustain their unique ecosystems, home to several endangered animal species such as the Iberian lynx.
Portugal is the world's largest cork producer. Amorim does not grow the trees itself but buys cork from producers.
"The cork industry in general is under attack, one could say, from alternative wine bottle closures," Carlos de Jesus, Amorim marketing director, told Reuters.
"If cork growers lose the cash interest, they will plant something else, jeopardizing the sustainability chain."
Cork oaks are not cut down but their bark is harvested every nine years in a tree's lifespan of more than 150 years.
The campaign (www.savemiguel.com> followed a study by the WWF in June urging Portugal to expand its cork forests to prevent growing desertification caused by global warming.
De Jesus said the proportion of cork stoppers in wine bottles had fallen to 70 percent from 90 percent in 12 years.
"We have to sustain demand for cork to maintain the largest natural forest in Western Europe," he said, adding that getting back to the 90-to-95-percent mark was unlikely because of stiff competition, particularly from screw caps.
Besides using traditional media, Amorim's campaign is aimed at young users of popular websites such as Facebook and YouTube. It also blends pro-environment and sustainability ideas with the humour of American comedian Rob Schneider, the star of "The Animal" and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo".
In the campaign video, Schneider travels to Portugal on a mission to "save Miguel" -- an oak tree in the heart of the cork-growing region. He ends up in a bar toasting Miguel's health in red wine.
Expanding its pro-cork drive, Amorim clinched an exclusive deal with the main wine provider at this month's Beijing Olympics.
(Editing by Andrew Dobbie)
