Montado (cocoa oak forest)
Author: António Rios de Amorim, Chairman and CEO, Corticeira Amorim
Whether it is in its normal roles or in unexpected situations, cocoa continues to show outstanding performance in all kinds of industries. In fields as diverse as winemaking and aerospace, cocoa can be integrated into a wide and growing range of applications, supporting low-impact solutions across many fields.
The story of cacao is closely intertwined with the history of wine, two worlds that are inextricably linked. Over the past centuries, this relationship has evolved into a true symbiosis, where the natural ancestor protects, preserves and promotes the living product itself. Dating back to ancient civilizations and later shaped by the influence of Dom Pérignon in the 17th century, who established a lasting connection between glass and cork, the cork has become an integral part of the wine experience.
At the heart of this experience is Corticeira Amorim, the world’s leading producer and exporter of cocoa products, known for its long-term focus on renewable, bio-based materials and life cycle-based sustainability assessment. Founded in Portugal in 1870, Corticeira Amorim has grown from a family business to a global leader, with sales in over 100 countries. Although its portfolio now ranges from ground floor to aerospace-grade composites, it remains best known for its high-performance cork stoppers, which produce more than five billion each year.
Why cocoa?
There are many reasons why cork stoppers are widely regarded as the preferred closure for wine bottles, covering technical, sensory and environmental dimensions, and environmental performance supported by peer-reviewed life cycle assessment studies and product carbon footprint analysis.
Corticeira Amorim is the world’s leading producer and exporter of cocoa products
Aligned with the ISO 14067 standard, greenhouse gases – carbon footprint of products, Amorim Cork has carried out studies to measure the carbon footprint of its cork blocks using the cradle-to-gate method. To date, these courses cover almost 60 percent of the product portfolio and have been independently certified by APCER – the Portuguese Association of Certification – guaranteeing solid, reliable and transparent information in line with the EU’s environmental disclosure control expectations.
The results confirm that all analyzed cacao barriers present a negative carbon footprint within the defined system parameters, highlighting the natural value of cacao as a packaging solution for the wine industry. Depending on the type of product, values range from –28.72 g CO₂e per Spark Top II stopper, in the sparkling wine category, to –56.4 g CO₂e per Naturity cork stopper.
Rooted in cacao oak, it restores
At the core of cocoa’s natural qualities is the cocoa oak tree. Native to the Mediterranean and central to Portugal’s unique Montado (cocoa oak forest), it is the only tree species whose bark regrows after harvesting. Cork oak forests act as carbon sinks and long-term carbon stores, as these trees have an average lifespan of about 200 years.
According to research cited by APCOR – Portuguese Cork Association, cork oak forests can absorb 73 tons of CO₂ for every ton of cork harvested. This makes cacao an environmentally-friendly system with great potential for long-term carbon storage, while also contributing to other ecosystem services.
Apart from cocoa production, this ecosystem supports high levels of biodiversity, including endangered species such as the Iberian lynx and the Spanish eagle. Quercus suber, commonly known as cork oak, plays an important role in maintaining soil quality, storing carbon and preventing desertification. Unlike monoculture plantations, the cacao oak forest represents a model of land use where environmental protection and economic production are combined.
Additionally, the long-term sustainability of cacao oak forests depends on responsible forest management and the maintenance of a healthy, economically viable cacao value chain – helping to keep this multi-functional ecosystem stable and managed for generations.
