This article is original from Drinks Retailing News, November 1st, 2019 by Sonya Hook and mentioned The Porto Protocol
The Co-op and Taylor’s Port have joined forces to fund a reforestation project in the Douro Valley through sales of Port this Christmas.
Nearly four football pitches worth of trees are expected to be funded by Co-op through sales of Taylor’s Select Reserve Port during the festive period. The Co-op said this activity will provide a welcome boost for the Douro Valley and Northern Portugal, which has been severely impacted by forest fires in the last few years.
The Co-op said it sells two thirds of all its Port during Christmas and sales are expected to fund the planting of 2,500 trees.
Thousands of hectares of forest are lost every year in Portugal alone, with forest fires a major cause. The reforestation project will begin this year and will see the replantation of two native species, the Pyrenean and Portuguese Oak.
Co-op wine buyer, Sarah Benson, said: “We are thrilled to be exclusively supporting Taylor’s on this important project through the sales of this brilliant Port, which will help bring new life to the Douro Valley.”
Taylor’s Port has made a commitment to help reverse the loss of native woodland by embarking on a reforestation programme across Portugal. This project is one of Taylor’s undertakings under the Porto Protocol.
The Porto Protocol is an international movement, inspired and mentored by Taylor’s, which encourages action to mitigate environmental damage and the effects of climate change. Co-op is the first retailer to pledge to go further in its commitment to Porto Protocol to make a real change in the region.
Taylor’s managing director, Adrian Bridge, said: “We are delighted to have Co-op’s support for this important project. By allowing us to plant more trees, Co-op’s investment will significantly increase the positive impact of the reforestation.
“As custodians of the unique environment and landscape of the Douro Valley, we understand the importance of extending our environmental initiatives beyond the vineyard itself. Our sustainable vineyard model recognises the importance of interspersing areas of vine with natural vegetation and woodland to protect natural diversity and resilience.”
