b - How can we maintain the economic profitability of a NWFP business?

Improvement and development possibilities in cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants

Producer of AMP

In most cases, the cultivation and production of lavender in Croatia is not a permanent job, but rather small plantations that generate additional household income. A large proportion of small producers, therefore, sell raw materials or semi-finished products resulting in lower economic profits. If they were able to produce the final product and market it then the economic profit would be higher. Increasing economic profit would certainly be a good incentive to increase production, and thus growing aromatic and medicinal plants would become a core business and would no longer be a hobby or...

The cork humidity parameter in the commercialization

Pilled cork after debarking

The humidity of cork has always been a parameter considered in its commercialization, and is usually expressed as a percentage discount on the total cork quantity. Percentual moisture discounts are usually incorrectly applied, as they are applied directly to the quantity of cork. The same discount applied to cork with different moisture's content can translate into discounts in quantity of cork and not water.

This factsheet intents to inform the cork producers for the relevance of cork sampling for moisture content determination in order to establish the humidity discount in the...

Synergies between forest owners and medicinal plant distiller : The case of Eucalyptus in Andalusia

Collection of eucalyptus branches and foliage in the surrounding forest properties

In the Doñana National Park in Andalusia, short-rotation coppice eucalyptus plantations occupy large areas and belong to private forest owners.

« Esencias Garcia-Palomo » distillery uses 5,000 kg of eucalyptus branches and leaves every day for its production of 10 to 40 kg of essential oil. Not being a forest owner, this resource is a cost to the company.

Mr. Palomo has organized with his neighbors to work in symbiosis and limit the costs of their respective operations : the collection of his raw materials contributes to the silviculture of coppices of eucalyptus.

Optimizing the debarking and cutting schedule of cork oak stands

Cork oak stand in Extremadura (Spain)

Cork is a non-timber forest product of great importance due to its excellent characteristics in terms of insulation, elasticity and sustainability. Spain is the second world producer of cork after Portugal. Traditionally, debarking is carried out at intervals ranging from 9 to 14 years, depending on the area. However, the growth of the cork is not constant over the life of the tree, so uneven debarking intervals may be advisable. Despite its economic importance, no silvicultural schedules exist which are based on optimizing the profitability of these stands. This factsheet provides...

New business models for innovating the cork sector and contrasting cork oak woodland abandonment

Abandoned cork oak stands

This example show cases the possibility that some private companies, interested in processing cork, wood chips and wood, take-up forest management on behalf of private or public forest owners in a new private-private or private-public business model. This ensures the conservation of largely abandoned cork oak woodlands. The agreement foresees the possibility for the processing industry to ensure the mid and long-term supply of cork.