The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry, through the Regional Directorate for Forest Resources, and in partnership with the Society for Business Development of the Azores (SDEA), has already made the adherence to the "Azores Brand- Forests" seal available at the address www.marcaacores.pt.
Entrepreneurs of the regional forestry sector may already join this label, integrated into the "Azores Brand - Certified by Nature," to enhance the origin of their products.
The "Azores Brand- Forests" labels guarantees that wood products from the Azores are obtained legally, both at environmental and social levels. Therefore, this is another tool for Azorean forest producers to value their products and to enter new markets.
On the other hand, this label, whose logo depicts a cryptomeria tree, the most common species in the regional forest area, will attract new investors to the archipelago's forestry sector and contribute to the credibility of Azorean wood in the world market.
Cryptomeria wood and other wood from the Azores are, thus, gaining projection as products obtained in a sustainable way, with respect for nature. They are from well managed forest areas, where cutting is followed by planting and the rights and safety of workers are guaranteed.
In the global market, which is increasingly demanding in terms of environmental and social commitments, the seals of origin and eco-labels are increasingly valued and taken into consideration when closing deals.
The adherence of wood products to the "Azores Brand" allows the forestry sector and forestry producers to seize the potentialities of promoting Azorean products, which is guaranteed by the investments made by the Azorean Government in the dissemination of this brand.
It is estimated that there are nearly 10 million cryptomeria specimens in the archipelago of the Azores, considering an average density of 800 trees per hectare.