Familia Torres strengthens forest stewardship

Leading Spanish winery, Familia Torres is reinforcing its environmental commitment by scaling up sustainable forest management across its 1,800 hectares of forestland in Catalunya, nearly double its vineyard holdings. This initiative is part of the long-standing Torres & Earth programme, launched in 2008 to tackle climate change and preserve biodiversity.

In a region where only 20 percent of forests are actively managed, far below the European average, Familia Torres is taking decisive action. The winery collaborates with Associations for Forest Defence (ADFs), a network of volunteers, town halls and environmental groups to implement wildfire prevention and ecosystem restoration strategies.

“Now more than ever, we must promote sustainable forest management to protect our land, preserve biodiversity, and reduce the impact of wildfires,” said Miguel A. Torres, President of Familia Torres. “As a company that depends on the land, it is our responsibility to protect the territory.”

Key strategies include selective thinning, undergrowth clearing and creating mosaic landscapes using vineyards and restored farmland as natural firebreaks. The winery also partners with local herders to integrate livestock grazing, a silvopastoral practice that reduces biomass buildup while enriching soils and supporting native flora.

In a push for circularity, forest biomass is repurposed to power a biomass boiler at the Pacs del Penedès winery, cutting gas usage by 90 percent and electricity by 10 percent.

Through these initiatives, Familia Torres is enhancing the resilience of Catalonia’s forests while setting a benchmark for sustainability in the wine industry.