Where it all starts – the cork forest
For our business bags and accessories of Bag Affair we mostly use cork textile. The origin of this wonderful material is purely agricultural. And even though we use cork since a couple of years now in our collections, we still marvel at the sustainability of bags from trees that are never cut. As result the natural properties of softness, of water resistance and flexibility is unmatched. In conclusion there is no any other textiles or leather to use in our laptop bags.
Here are a few interesting information about cork forestation:
The cork oak and forests are one of the richest ecosystems worldwide.
You find the cork tree all around the Mediterranean and in Portugal the highest concentration worldwide of 34% which is around 736 thousand hectares. These forests are called “montado” in Portuguese.
But for climate reasons you find this unique ecosystem around the Mediterranean. On a low altitude (max 500 meters over the sea) with a warm and humid climate.
In Europe you find in total 1.44 million hectares of cork forest mostly in Portugal and Spain but as well in France and Italy. You can find around 0.70 hectares in northern Africa as Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria as well.
And in Portugal you find the cork forest mainly in the southern part from Lisbon. You should know the four regions of cork trees: Alentejo Central, Alentejo Litoral, Alto Alentejo and Lezíria do Tejo. And these areas together count around of 96% of the Portuguese montado.
Further one more thing: Portuguese cork forests are FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council or FSC). To sum up, this means that the forest undergoes the certification program of planting or cutting trees to assure the perfect harmony for the ecosystem.
All information received from Apcor, the Portuguese national cork association. You find more here: www.apcor.pt
