Memorandum by the World Wildlife Foundation
(WWF)
SUMMARY
WWF's report "Cork Screwed? Environmental
and economic impacts of the cork stoppers market", produced
in May 2006, highlights the decline in the cork wine stopper market,
and shows that an increasing use of alternative stoppers (plastic
and screwcap) is likely to reduce the market demand for cork,
and therefore the incentive to preserve and manage cork oak landscapes
of global importance. If the demand for cork stoppers is not maintained,
three quarters of the cork oak forests could be at risk from land
abandonment, conversion, fire and desertification; over 60,000
jobs and extremely valuable ecosystems could be lost.
WWF recommends that European wine labelling
laws are changed to require that information about the stopper
type is included to inform consumer choice. It is critical that
the future of the cork market is secured so that cork oak forests
will continue to produce sustainbly harvested cork. Cork products
should be encouraged because cork is a renewable and biodegradable
natural resource.
BACKGROUND
WWF is working to conserve the cork oak landscapes
in the Mediterranean. These are unique and native only to four
southern Mediterranean countries and three EU neighbourhood countries,
covering 2.7 million hectares across Portugal, Spain, France,
Italy, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. They are a mix of forest
and agriculture, representing one of the best examples of the
interaction between people and nature, and being extremely important
areas for biodiversity. As well as a having a huge diversity of
plant species, these cork oak forests are important habitats for
threatened species such as the Barbary deer, Iberian lynx and
Spanish Imperial eagle. The cork oak forests are of European importance,
listed in the EU Habitats Directive as these habitats are in need
of conservation measures, and the Mediterranean is globally important
area for biodiversity, being a WWF priority ecoregion and an IUCN
hotspot. These landscapes also provide an important source of
income for people in these regions.
Damaging policies, poor management practices
and changes in the cork market have resulted in the degradation
and loss of these special habitats. WWF is working to reverse
the damaging trends and to improve conditions for the environmental,
social and economic balance of these areas. This work involves
working on market and policy issues, and demonstrating how management
can be improved and these landscapes restored.
The main income from these landscapes comes
from the production of cork and livestock. The most important
source of income from cork is from the production of wine stoppers,
accounting for about 70 per cent of the income from cork. Therefore,
these cork oak forests are dependent on the market for cork stoppers
continuing.
WWF produced a report in May 2006, which looked
into the environmental and economic impacts of the cork stopper
market. This showed a decline in the cork stopper market and showed
that an increasing use of alternative stoppers (plastic and screwcap)
may reduce the market demand for cork, and therefore the incentive
to preserve and manage cork oak landscapes. The report looked
at current trends, and found that by 2015, if this threat is not
addressed, the Mediterranean could lose three-quarters of its
cork oak forests, and associated wildlife and livelihoods, due
to fire, degradation and desertification. If these forests lose
their value for people, they are likely to be converted or abandoned,
both of which are damaging for biodiversity. The sustainable use
of natural resources in Europe should be supported by the European
Union, and cork is a predominantly European product. Whilst plantations
of cork oak forests exist outside of Europe, these would be non-native
plantations, and form an extremely small proportion of the total
cork stopper production.
This report can be found on the WWF website:
http://www.wwf.org.uk/filelibrary/pdf/corkscrewed.pdf
SPECIFIC RESPONSE
TO THE
QUESTIONS
2. Why should wine quality—eg relating
to Geographical Indication—be regulated? Why cannot consumers
choose between wines as they do between other products—eg
on the basis of brand names or other information which might provide
a guide to quality?
WWF is concerned that consumers cannot choose
between wines on the basis of the stopper type used, because this
information is not on the label. However, the use of cork has
significant environmental benefits, compared to the other stoppers,
and the increasing use of alternative stoppers is occurring without
consumers having the ability to influence this, or consumers being
able to choose their wines according to their stopper preference.
Annual research by Wine Intelligence ("Closures: The Consumer
View") shows that consumers in the UK prefer cork, but that
they are becoming more neutral to other stopper types, probably
because they are becoming more common in stores. Information about
the stopper type would be useful for consumers, and should be
presented in a manner which would not cloud the compulsory particulars
and confuse the public.
For further explanation, please refer to WWF's
response to question 12.
12. Given continuance of an EU wine regime,
what are your views on labelling and quality issues? Are current
arrangements conducive to consumers understanding what they are
buying? Is there scope for rationalisation and simplification?
Current labelling arrangements are not conducive
to consumers understanding what they are buying, so that some
consumers could inadvertently be contributing to the decline of
cork oak forests. It is clear that the future survival of cork
oak forests rests largely on the market for cork stoppers. WWF
has been discussing these issues with UK wine retailers, and informing
the wine trade through communications in the wine trade press,
to raise awareness of why cork is important (for environmental,
social and economic reasons), so that the wine trade can make
better informed decisions. WWF is encouraging the wine trade to
use cork. However, the wine stopper is not visible to the consumer,
and the consumer does not know the environmental implications
of buying wine with cork compared to wine with a plastic stopper
or screwcap. WWF is concerned that consumers cannot choose wines
on the basis of the stopper type (the hidden packaging which has
significant environmental impacts).
In our discussions, it has become clear that
the retailers can inform consumers on their own label wines as
to the stopper type (and some UK supermarkets are currently doing
this), but that this is the minority of wine sales, and does not
have a global reach. If a retailer wants to inform people about
the environmental, social and economic importance of choosing
cork, they are then not able to refer them to which bottles have
cork stoppers in them. Even the retailer does not necessarily
know. This is a critical obstacle to addressing the threat of
the increasing use of alternative stoppers on the cork oak forests,
and does not offer people a choice.
Therefore, WWF believes that it is critical
that wine labels inform the wine trade, retailer and consumer
as to what stopper type is being used, so that if people want
to choose their wine on the basis of the stopper type, and on
the basis of environmental criteria, for example, they can. At
present this does not happen, and the cork oak forests are at
serious risk by the move away from the use of cork. When these
forests are recognised as needing conservation measures by the
EU Habitats and Species Directive, the European Union should do
what it can to help the situation. WWF recommends that wine labelling
laws are changed to require that information about the stopper
type is included.
17. To what extent does the wine sector have
an impact—favourable and unfavourable—on the EU environment?
Are measures needed to support good environmental impact? Should
they be selective?
This response is focused only on the issue of
the stopper type used in wines. The wine sector will increasingly
have an impact on the EU environment by using alternative stoppers
in wines, instead of cork stoppers, as explained above. Plastic
stoppers and screwcaps are made from non-renewable resources and
are not biodegradable, whereas cork comes from a renewable resource,
is biodegradable, and in some EU countries can be recycled.
In addition, the cork oak forests, are dependent
on the income from the production of wine stoppers, and so a reduction
in this market will result in the loss of these important habitats
and species that live in these areas, as well as the loss of income
and livelihoods, particularly in rural areas.
Measures are needed to reduce this impact. The
minimum measure would be ensuring that wine labels tell consumers
what stopper type is being used, so that people can make informed
choices, preferably with an indication about the importance of
cork for the environment and social aspects. For examples of wine
labelling that does indicate what stopper type is used, please
refer to M&S, Waitrose, Sainsbury and Co-op own brand wines.
It does not need to take up a lot of room on the label and can
be very simple. The use of the CELiege "cork mark" could
be considered (http://www.celiege.com/Ingles/frames/celiege_corkmark.htm)
and because this is a tree symbol, it could indicate the environmental
importance of choosing cork. CELiege is the "European Cork
Federation", which represents the European cork industry,
promoting cork and its products.
This may require changes, or clarification,
to Commission Regulation (EC) No. 753/2002, which is the framework
containing detailed rules on the description and presentation
of wines, including labelling. A more proactive measure would
be to regulate that EU wines will use cork as a stopper type,
in order to help conserve cork oak forests and to recognise the
environmental qualities of cork.
In addition, in order to ensure that the cork
oak forest is being well managed, according to environmental,
social and economic considerations, Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) certification is an important tool. Working with the wine
industry and governments across Europe, WWF is encouraging the
promotion and production of FSC cork through:
— Promoting the certification of cork
oak forests in the seven cork producing countries, and chain of
custody certification of the cork industry companies that produce
cork products, including cork stoppers;
— Promoting the development of high
standards for sustainable management of cork oak forests to be
endorsed by FSC; and
— Raising awareness and promoting responsible
purchasing of cork products through the supply chain, in particular
promoting the development of the FSC cork market.
February 2007
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