Garnica partners with forestry initiatives to replant poplar and pine trees

In our company, we work in collaboration with initiatives to support and preserve poplar and pine tree stands, with the objective of ensuring that every poplar or pine tree harvested is replanted to maintain forests’ health and sustainability. This joint effort has the potential to impact local poplar and pine tree conservation significantly.

• Partnership between Garnica and the Conseil National du Peupliers “Merci le Peuplier”

The Merci le Peuplier Charter is an initiative that provides assistance to poplar growers and serves several important functions, such as providing financial support to encourage reforestation after poplar tree harvesting. Landowners who meet the conditions of the Charter receive financial support from the industry once reforestation has been guaranteed. In fact, Garnica has provided funding to replant more than 300,000 poplars.

The Merci le Peuplier Charter also promotes the establishment of forest certifications, such as PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), and helps to promote best practices in forest management and encourage the supply of certified wood to companies. This comprehensive tool provides financial assistance, promotes forest certification, strengthens the sector, facilitates the implementation of supporting actions, and highlights the crucial role of poplar wood in sustainability and development.

As part of the BIOPOPTECH Operational Group, Garnica is working together with AEFCON to replicate the “Merci le Peuplier” model in Spain under the name “Gracias al Chopo,” which pursues the same objective as in France: ensuring that every poplar tree harvested is replanted.

• Partnership between Garnica and the Basque Country Foresters’ Confederation

The Basque Country Foresters’ Confederation is an organization that brings together the forestry associations of the three Historical Territories of the Basque Autonomous Community.

Its main objectives are to represent forest owners in different areas, lead Sustainable Forest Management Certification (PEFC) at the regional level, provide tools to address forest owners’ challenges, promote the use of wood as a renewable material, promote the values of forestry to Basque society, contribute to the unity of the Basque forestry sector, and foster the genetic improvement of forest stands.

In 2022, several forestry companies in the Basque Country teamed up with the Basque Country Foresters’ Confederation to launch an initiative promoting maritime pine tree planting. Garnica contributed to this campaign by providing funding equivalent to planting more than 40 hectares of pine trees.

Through these actions, the Confederation seeks to protect and promote the region’s forestry heritage, promoting sustainable practices and highlighting the importance of forestry in the community’s socio-economic and environmental development.

On balance, these types of agreements are an excellent way to ensure that landowners are provided with assistance to replant their poplar and pine trees within a maximum time period. In doing so, we help promote the conservation and regeneration of forests and tree farms, which in turn contributes to protecting the environment and biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

With this action, we want to reaffirm our commitment to social and environmental responsibility. By supporting associations and working in collaboration with different stakeholders, we want to make a positive contribution to preserving forest resources and promoting sustainable practices in the wood industry.