Sustforest – mobilising a sustainable European resin resource

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The global resin market has undergone fundamental changes in recent years. Resin production in Brazil has been increasing steadily since 2014, partly due to the sudden change in the trade balance in China, the main pine resin producing country. The SustForest+ project was born in this context.

This project (2018 to 2021) is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union. It aims to mobilise the European resin resource in order to sustainably supply local industry. One of the objectives is to improve the working conditions of the resin tappers, providing stable and quality jobs in the rural area of South-West Europe.

 

Pine tapping realized by Holiste using "Biogemme ® " method in the Landes of gascogny (France). Photo by Armand Clopeau.

 

In order to participate in the development of markets for natural resin products, EFI brought its expertise in the field of bioeconomy by focusing on the global market (Publication Tierra de Pinares) and the profitability of the production systems.

This work was presented at several events including the IUFRO World Congress 2019 in Curitiba (Brazil), which also provided an opportunity to improve knowledge of Brazilian production systems during a week-long tour of the entire production chain.

 

Visit to Resinas Brazil. Photo courtesy of Resinas Brazil.

 

EFI also participated in the the multi-criteria evaluation workshop of tapping scenarios. The proposed method made it possible to highlight certain tapping systems according to relevant indicators and the importance that the members of the sector attach to them. This event contributed to the creation of the European network of resin territories, leading to positive externalities related to tapping.

The network has the vocation of influencing political decision making that affects the resin sector, such as the conditions of the resin worker, its incorporation in the protection of forest resources and above all in the surveillance and prevention of forest fires.

Find out more about Sustforest on the project website

 

Written by Armand Clopeau (EFIPLANT) and edited by Stephanie Hayes (Hayes4Com). Photos by Armand Clopeau.

Top photo of Armand Clopeau, researcher working on bioeconomy related topics for SUSTFOREST, at a demonstration of the tapping method "Pica de Corteza" in the province of Soria (Spain) with Cesefor