Which European country is the world's major supplier of cork?

Answer 1

Cork material which harvested for commercial use primarily from the Cork Oak tree (unrelated to the "cork trees" which have corky bark but are not used for cork production) with Portugal producing most cork worldwide.

Cork which is used since 3000 BC. is a vegetable tissue harvested with such care, has unique and incomparable qualities which no ingenious human has yet managed to imitate or improve being very light, impermeable to liquids and gases, elastic and compressible , an excellent thermal and acoustic insulator, incombustible and highly abrasion resistant. But it is, above all, a material that is one hundred per cent natural, recyclable and biodegradable, three essential qualities in a more environmentally friendly and less polluted modern society.

One of the leading companies in the cork industry is Amorim Group, from Portugal. Amorim, which is the surname of its controlling family, started in the cork-processing business in 1870 and is still the largest cork producer in the world. Forbes Magazine describes Amorim as "number one, two, three, four and five in cork industry."

Cork's elasticity combined with its near-impermeability makes it suitable as a material for bottle stoppers, especially for wine bottles.

The process of making a natural cork begins with the careful husbandry of the cork forests. The bark of mature (at least 25 years old) cork trees is harvested just once every nine years. With specialised cork axes, harvesting is done by stripping the outer bark then the bark is seasoned and sorted prior to processing, planks are then sorted. Corkwood is boiled in purified water to remove organic solids lodged in the lenticels or pores of the bark and to make the cork more pliable. Once boiled, the planks are stacked and allowed to dry and stabilise in a well ventilated environment with controlled humidity. The planks are then graded according to thickness, porosity and appearance. After the cork planks have reached the correct moisture content, they are sliced into strips slightly wider than the final length of the cork. Cork punching is done by machine or hand. The punched corks are sorted by a machine that photographs and classifies each cork by quality into categories. The punched corks are polished to the required length and evenness then washed in a solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to bleach and sterilise. After washing, the corks are dried in ovens or with sterilised air to the correct moisture content. After drying, the corks are resorted per customer's specifications. A thin film of paraffin wax and silicone or resin is applied to each cork to make it easier to insert into the wine bottle. Finally, batches of corks are packed in preservative polyethylene with sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas.

Cork demand has increased due to a larger proportion of wine being sealed with cork rather than being sold in bulk. Recently cork has also been used in rocket technology due to its fire resistance. It can also be used as bricks for the outer wall of a house.

Apart from bottle stoppers, corks are also used in making shoes, mouse pads, dress and clothes, pillows, chairs, floors, etc.

Recently, a major current issue for the association of cork producers is the decreasing support for cork as a bottle seal, as the popularity of plastic and other stoppers rises. But side effects have been found on the synrhetic bottle caps and stoppers, thus cork use remain popular.♥

Answer 2

Cork material is a subset of generic cork tissue, harvested for commercial use primarily from the Cork Oak tree, Quercus suber, with Portugal producing most cork worldwide.

Cork's elasticity combined with its near-impermeability makes it suitable as a material for bottle stoppers, especially for wine bottles. Cork stoppers represent about 60% of all cork based production. Cork's low density makes it a suitable material for fishing floats and buoys. Sheets of cork, often the by-product of more lucrative stopper production, are used to make floor tiles and bulletin boards.

The cork industry is generally regarded as environmentally friendly. The sustainability of its production and the easy recycling of cork's products and by-products are two of its most distinctive aspects. One of the leading companies in the cork industry is Amorim Group, from Portugal.

Cork demand has increased due to a larger proportion of wine being sealed with cork rather than being sold in bulk. Since a tree's bark can only be harvested once a decade or so, supply is highly inelastic. Top quality corks are quite expensive, so cheaper brands have switched to lower quality cork, synthetic plastic stoppers, screwcaps, or other closures.

Associação Portuguesa da Cortiça is the Portuguese Cork Association, a consortium of cork growers and manufacturers.

A major current issue for the association is the decreasing support for cork as a bottle seal, as the popularity of plastic and other stoppers rises.

There is a major discussion about which closure suits wine the best. There are several reports defending the use of screwcaps, mostly coming from New Zealand, but for each report defending the use of screwcaps, there is also another report defending the use of corks.

Answer 3

Portugal of course!

Answer 4

I think its Portugal.