The fact that France has extensive oak forests is widely known, oak used for all the barrels. But France also has cork oaks. Once upon a time, there was a thriving industry around products from the cork oak. Today, Portugal is the dominant cork producer in the world.
In France, cork production fell almost into oblivion, and the knowledge of caring for the trees and harvesting the bark disappeared. But now the forests are beginning to be used professionally again, partly with the help of the French company Diam Bouchage, known for its agglomerated corks, which are guaranteed to be free from TCA that causes cork damage. Since 2012, Diam has sold 40 million corks made with French cork. And there will be more. In total, Diam sells 2.3 billion corks a year.
The French cork oak forests are mainly found in Roussillon, western Provence (Var department) and in Corsica but also in Gascony, just south-east of Bordeaux. Here, we find the conditions needed for the discerning tree that cannot tolerate limestone and wants plenty of light, heat, and humidity. Reviving the cork industry is, among other things, an ecological investment for France.
Cork is a natural and recyclable material and is interesting in the fight against forest fires. Cork forests act as firebreaks and prevent fires from spreading. The trees do burn but are protected by their bark and do not die.
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