Organization of Forestry
Portugal is one of the European countries with the highest percentage of private forests – 92% - while only 2% are owned or managed by the State, and 6% are community forests (common land).
Regarding the structure of private property there are significant differences between the North and the South of Portugal. The Northern and Central regions are dominated by small and fragmented properties while the Southern region is characterized by large properties, mostly covered by Cork-oak and Holm-Oak forests (the ‘montados’).
Due to this ownership structure and to the rural exodus with the abandonment of the rural areas, private owners associations are a solution to a better technical support and to create a dimension that allows better management and protection of forests.
The Forest Owners Organizations (FOO) represent forest owners and managers and provide a wide range of services such as counseling, support to forest owners and producers, and forest management. Another important service is the support given for the creation and management of forest intervention zones (ZIF). These areas of at least 750ha aim at promoting group management based on the active participation of the land owners. In addition, the FOO ensures the implementation of public programs in order to promote and protect resources and forest areas, against forest fires and biotic agents. There are currently 169 OPF registered 83% of which are located in the North and Central regions of continental Portugal.
Public forests are managed by the Nature and Forest Conservation Institute (ICNF), a body responsible for the protection and management of national forests, supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Regional Planning (MAMAOT).
Forest sector
The importance of forests and the forest sector in Portugal is of great importance. The forest sector is the third economic sector in Portugal, providing wealth and welfare for all society. It is one of the pillars of the country's economic development, representing 5% of national Gross Value-Added (GVA), 3% of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 14% of industrial GDP and 5% of national employment.
This sector also has the advantage of being sustained largely by national natural resources representing the sub-sectors activities principally specialized in the export of intermediate and final products, whose value is on average 10% of national exports.
The three main Portuguese Forest Sub-sectors which differ in terms of species, forest ownership and management, forest industries and market structures, are:
Sub-sector of Pine
Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) forest is the backbone of the sawmill industry and conglomerates. Its main objective is the production of wood for industrial purposes. One of the by-products is bark which is used as organic matter to nurseries or fuel. Their logs have many industrial uses, such as unwinding or sheet, furniture and interior decoration, carpentry and joinery, sawing, grinding and firewood. This sub-sector is divided into four areas: wood sawmills, wood panelling, joinery and wood furniture.
Sub-sector of Eucalyptus
Currently, Portugal is the 6th European producer of paper pulp and the 13th in the production of paper and paperboard. The paper is the main product line in exports. Paper and pulp represent more than half of the total exports. Other industries such as civil construction and furniture use eucalyptus wood.
Sub-sector of Cork oak
Portugal is the country with the largest area of cork oak (Quercus suber) in the world (34%), followed by Spain, Morocco, France and Italy. It is therefore, the world leader in cork production and processing accounting for 53% of world production. Almost the entire production (90%) is exported. Cork industry is extremely important for the Portuguese economy. Cork stoppers are the main products exported, followed by construction materials. Portuguese products are mainly exported to France, USA and Spain.
Portuguese forests value
The economic value of Portuguese forests (wood, cork, fruits and seeds, pastures, resin, honey, mushrooms and herbs, hunting, fishing, coastline, protection of water regime, desertification, biodiversity, carbon storage, biomass for energy), taking also into account losses (related to forest fires, pests and diseases), is estimated at 994 million Euros.
Regarding the structure of private property there are significant differences between the North and the South of Portugal. The Northern and Central regions are dominated by small and fragmented properties while the Southern region is characterized by large properties, mostly covered by Cork-oak and Holm-Oak forests (the ‘montados’).
Due to this ownership structure and to the rural exodus with the abandonment of the rural areas, private owners associations are a solution to a better technical support and to create a dimension that allows better management and protection of forests.
The Forest Owners Organizations (FOO) represent forest owners and managers and provide a wide range of services such as counseling, support to forest owners and producers, and forest management. Another important service is the support given for the creation and management of forest intervention zones (ZIF). These areas of at least 750ha aim at promoting group management based on the active participation of the land owners. In addition, the FOO ensures the implementation of public programs in order to promote and protect resources and forest areas, against forest fires and biotic agents. There are currently 169 OPF registered 83% of which are located in the North and Central regions of continental Portugal.
Public forests are managed by the Nature and Forest Conservation Institute (ICNF), a body responsible for the protection and management of national forests, supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Regional Planning (MAMAOT).
Forest sector
The importance of forests and the forest sector in Portugal is of great importance. The forest sector is the third economic sector in Portugal, providing wealth and welfare for all society. It is one of the pillars of the country's economic development, representing 5% of national Gross Value-Added (GVA), 3% of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 14% of industrial GDP and 5% of national employment.
This sector also has the advantage of being sustained largely by national natural resources representing the sub-sectors activities principally specialized in the export of intermediate and final products, whose value is on average 10% of national exports.
The three main Portuguese Forest Sub-sectors which differ in terms of species, forest ownership and management, forest industries and market structures, are:
Sub-sector of Pine
Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) forest is the backbone of the sawmill industry and conglomerates. Its main objective is the production of wood for industrial purposes. One of the by-products is bark which is used as organic matter to nurseries or fuel. Their logs have many industrial uses, such as unwinding or sheet, furniture and interior decoration, carpentry and joinery, sawing, grinding and firewood. This sub-sector is divided into four areas: wood sawmills, wood panelling, joinery and wood furniture.
Sub-sector of Eucalyptus
Currently, Portugal is the 6th European producer of paper pulp and the 13th in the production of paper and paperboard. The paper is the main product line in exports. Paper and pulp represent more than half of the total exports. Other industries such as civil construction and furniture use eucalyptus wood.
Sub-sector of Cork oak
Portugal is the country with the largest area of cork oak (Quercus suber) in the world (34%), followed by Spain, Morocco, France and Italy. It is therefore, the world leader in cork production and processing accounting for 53% of world production. Almost the entire production (90%) is exported. Cork industry is extremely important for the Portuguese economy. Cork stoppers are the main products exported, followed by construction materials. Portuguese products are mainly exported to France, USA and Spain.
Portuguese forests value
The economic value of Portuguese forests (wood, cork, fruits and seeds, pastures, resin, honey, mushrooms and herbs, hunting, fishing, coastline, protection of water regime, desertification, biodiversity, carbon storage, biomass for energy), taking also into account losses (related to forest fires, pests and diseases), is estimated at 994 million Euros.