Wood, a renewable resource
In France, where the forest occupies 1/3 of the metropolitan territory, natural growth is higher than harvested wood and French legislation strongly supervises forestry practices to support sustainable management. This makes wood the renewable resource par excellence and gives it considerable development potential.
Reasonable exploitation
The Archimbaud Group encourages the rational use of wood in the forests located near its processing sites.
Part of its supply is ensured by the exploitation of its own fully PEFC certified forestry stock. The group requires its softwood suppliers to source from PEFC certified owners. As a member of the Merci le Peuplier charter, it also encourages poplar forest owners to take the necessary steps to obtain the certification and provides them with support if necessary.
In addition, the company undertakes sustainable actions to maintain and increase forest areas: it replants the equivalent of 30 hectares of forest each year and actively participates in the Plantons pour l'Avenir (Let's plant for the future) programme, of which it has been one of the main sponsors since the reforestation programme was created.
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Plantons Pour l'Avenir
Join us to become a supporter of the Plantons pour l'Avenir endowment fund.
You will participate in the relaunch of reforestation in France, benefiting from an income tax reduction of 66% of your donation for individuals and 60% for companies. As it is in all our interests to ensure the future of our forests, join us by making a donation!
Focus
Focus on poplar
France is Europe's leading poplar producer in terms of planted areas and the second largest in the world after China. Today, however, only half of France's wood requirements for the coming years are planted: without strong measures to promote cultivation, the entire processing sector could find itself in difficulty. The Conseil National du Peuplier and those working in the sector are mobilising to revive planting. The Charter "Merci le Peuplier" (Thank you Poplar) brings companies closer to poplar growers and offers direct financial aid for replanting after the harvest.
An emblematic tree of the Deux-Sèvres river valleys, the poplar historically has a special relationship with the Archimbaud group, which created the Groupement Forestier des Peupliers in 2015: the result is better control of supplies and exemplary value for the sector. This forestry group reforests around 35 hectares each year and aims to acquire 50 hectares of land per year dedicated to poplar.
In order to transform the poplar resource, the Archimbaud group has invested in an adapted industrial tool: opened in 2018, the heavy wood processing line in Secondigné-sur-Belle processes poplar logs for a wide range of construction and decorative applications: cladding, battens, panelling, interior decoration and furniture. A PEFC-certified local wood, Archimbaud poplar is a solution that combines competitiveness and technical qualities.
Decarbonising the economy
Sustainable, wood is also an essential resource for moving towards a low-carbon economy, mainly due to its function as a carbon reservoir. It is estimated that the forests of metropolitan France absorb 87 million tonnes of CO2 per year, or around 19% of France's annual emissions. The exploitation of forests allows both their renewal and their maintenance, which favours their absorption capacity.
- The group has 350 hectares of its own forests, which are fully PEFC certified.
- 30 hectares of forest are replanted directly each year by the Archimbaud group.
- As the main sponsor of the Plantons pour l'Avenir endowment fund, the group donates €70,000 each year to help reforest the French forest.
- 60% of the wood processed by the group is PEFC certified
- 250 km: maximum distance between the wood collection and the group's sawmills.