sustainable and harmless raw materials
Argentina: forest management and reforestation
The provinces of Chaco and Formosa in Argentina are the regions with the highest density of quebracho colorado. In 2007, the Ley de Bosque Nativo, a law designed to protect and promote native forests, established guidelines for the responsible management of forests including those rich in quebracho.
The amount of quebracho wood used for tannin production is 250,000 tons per year. Through a selective thinning practice carried out every 40 years, just 0.1% of the quebracho specimens per hectare are selected for harvest.
This practice ensures that the amount of wood collected remains much lower than the volume that grows during an entire year. There is also an ongoing replanting program, carried out as part of a collaboration between tannin producers and the owners of the woodland. It focuses on seedling planting and best practices to manage the forests.