“FederlegnoArredo has strongly expressed its concern to all the players in the field for the consequences on the sector of the “Renaturation of the Po River area” plan financed by the Pnrr, in particular with regard to the revocation of the poplar-growing concessions envisaged in the territory of Italy’s largest river and the expropriation of poplar-growing areas, with deleterious effects on the economy of the Po Valley area, on poplar-growing itself and, consequently, on the entire wood-furnishing production chain. This is why today we welcome the decision taken by Aipo (Interregional Agency for the Po River), which has deemed it appropriate, at least for the time being, not to implement the project as it had been formulated“.
This was stated by Paolo Fantoni, vice-president of FederlegnoArredo. Poplar is an agricultural and industrial excellence, widely recognised even at international level, and provides 50 per cent of the round timber for industry produced in Italy.
“As a federation we promptly took action through the most appropriate channels, because the previously identified plan would have had an impact of at least 12 per cent on the total poplar cultivation in the Po Valley, and precisely at a time when the government has declared its intention to create a 100 per cent Italian wood-furniture supply chain.
We now hope for a revision of the project that will put poplar at the centre as a precious and sustainable resource, safeguarding the 28,000 agricultural hectares at risk. We are confident that the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security can find an agreed solution that meets both environmental and socio-economic needs“.
Poplar cultivation has environmental sustainability as its guiding principle, from cultivation certified according to PEFC and FSC forestry standards to processing into plywood and wood packaging, avoiding any waste. “It represents a zero-kilometre supply chain, attentive and respectful of the environmental impact, right up to the finished product that allows carbon to be stored for many years, avoiding its release into the atmosphere“, FederlegnoArredo points out.
“The economic element is combined with the environmental protection that poplar cultivation guarantees due to its phyto-depurative characteristics and against hydro-geological instability: it should not be forgotten that poplar plantation is among the most effective agro-forestry systems for the absorption of greenhouse gases“.
