Poplar

Cultivation and direct management > Landscape and community > Forestry safeguard > Poplar ecological contribution > CO₂ absorption > Responsible and certified cultivation > Certification of the supply chain

Cultivation and direct management of poplar groves

Panguaneta controls the cultivation of all its poplar groves, partly by directly managing the cultivation farms through its Rosa Anna and Rosa Luigia farm (certified according to FSC® standards - license Code FSC-C019345), partly by selecting qualified suppliers who must strictly follow specific methodologies and procedures.

Landscape and community

The presence of poplars in the Po valley landscape - almost an icon and a strong aesthetic and identity element in this territory – attests to an ancient tradition of poplar growing, deeply rooted in the local community. Therefore, the cultivation of poplars in this area means giving continuity to this tradition; the application of modern management practices means bringing the strictest environmental standards required by the world market to the local community, to the benefit of the surrounding environment, economic sustainability and the beauty of the landscape.

Forestry safeguard

By using trees from plantations instead of natural forests, the production of Panguaneta poplar plywood avoids deforestation and promotes the positive expansion of forests, including equatorial exotic woods.

Poplar ecological contribution

In poplar groves, many animal and plant species have built complex biological relationships. One hectare of poplar grove purifies over 40,000 cubic meters of water - basically, poplars are efficient natural purifiers. Through filtration, the roots also prevent the eutrophication of water, with positive effects on the floodplain habitat and biodiversity. The expansion of poplar cultivations significantly increases the benefits to the ecosystem.

CO₂ absorption

The poplar is able to purify the air by removing 70 - 140 litres of carbon dioxide per hour from the atmosphere and releasing an equal quantity of oxygen. From an ecological point of view, one hectare of poplar grove absorbs about 20 tons of CO₂ per year. The carbon storage – carbon sink – does not end in the land but continues after the cutting and processing of wood into plywood. Even as a piece of furniture, it will continue to play its key role.

Responsible cultivation

The poplar vegetation cycle, ensured by the best selected clones and proper cultivation management in the floodplain area between the Po and Oglio rivers, takes 10 years to obtain optimal wood quality. Panguaneta preferably opts for planting densities not exceeding 250-280 plants per hectare with rectangular layouts (6x7). These elements, besides allowing for a suitable diameter growth, help reduce the ovalisation and curvature of the trunks.

Certified cultivation

The Rosa Anna and Rosa Luigia farm (through which Panguaneta directly manages its poplar groves) has adhered to the FSC® protocols (Forest Stewardship Council- license Code FSC-C019345), the independent organization that promotes environmentally and socially responsible management of forests and plantations worldwide, with various benefits from an economic and business point of view. The protocol also requires that at least 10% of the surface is managed as a representative/conservation area, where the local flora and fauna grow naturally and the only interventions are aimed at avoiding ruins, weeds or fires. As the farm acquires and manages new poplar groves, the management area subjected to the FSC® protocols increases, spreading its benefits and positive practices along the entire supply chain.