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Cork is a sustainable natural product. It comes from the carefully stripped-off bark of cork trees,
most of which are grown in scientifically managed cork forests located in the Mediterranean region,
primarily Spain and Portugal as well as in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, and southern France.
Each tree is registered and detailed records are maintained to track the health of the trees as well
as when their bark was last harvested, which occurs every nine to twelve years.
Such well-managed forests are a huge natural and economic asset, providing income and jobs to many as well as absorbing an enormous amount of carbon dioxide from, and contributing much oxygen back into, the atmosphere each year. Cork forests absorb more than five times the amount of carbon from the atmosphere than other trees, and represent extremely Earth-friendly natural as well as economic environments. Cork forests are also key habitats for wild animals, barriers to threatening desertification of the land, and places of great beauty.