If you're not already concerned about the global decline of white oak forests, you should be — especially if you're a bourbon drinker.
While oaks provide habitat, food, and shelter for many species, they're also the cornerstone for aging bourbon. By law, bourbon must be aged in new, charred American oak barrels. Most distilleries use white oak for its strength, flavor profile, and the rich color it creates.
Brown-Forman, the parent company to Jack Daniel's, is fighting to save white oaks through DendriFund, a nonprofit seed fund that advocates federal policies to protect and manage oak forests through joint action.
According to an article on Trellis, formerly GreenBiz, oak tree reduction has been recorded in 39 countries, and 31% of the 430 known oak species are on the verge of extinction. Invasive species, drought, fires, and soil compaction are primarily to blame.
While there hasn't been much action or acknowledgment from policymakers, the bourbon industry recognized the potential threat as far back as 1998, understanding that without oak trees, they'd have no product.
"No one cares about regeneration until you tell them it will impact their bourbon," DendriFund Executive Director Barbara Hurt told Trellis.
DendriFund partnered with the American Forest Foundation and the University of Kentucky to launch the White Oak Initiative, a diverse coalition of partners committed to long-term sustainability solutions for American white oak. The initiative's goal is to regenerate 100 million acres of white oak forest by 2070.
"But we do know that we will get closer to good, or maybe even great, for future generations if we get as many diverse people and perspectives to work together to envision that future," Hurt said, via Trellis.
The vital role of the bourbon industry in Kentucky's economy has brought Republicans and Democrats together with the White Oak Resilience Act, a bipartisan bill backed by Brown-Forman.
White oaks are crucial to the North American ecosystem. Many species, some threatened or endangered, depend on these trees. The campaign to help oak forests thrive again shows the power of corporate advocacy.
Trees enrich the soil, improve air and water quality, and help cool temperatures by providing shade. The more trees, the better for all of us.
The effort to save and rebuild our forests is important. Mast Reforestation, formerly DroneSeed, used massive drones to plant trees in an effort to fight deforestation and fires and now focuses on customized seed collection and biomass burial. There are also tree-replanting robots that can plant almost two-and-a-half acres of forest in less than six hours. Companies like Conscious Step, Tentree, and WoodWatch will plant one tree for every product sold.
Support eco-friendly initiatives by your favorite brands to encourage other brands to follow suit. By doing this, green options will grow, and companies won't be so hesitant to commit to circular causes and products.
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