EU-PoTaRCh (COST Action - CA22155)

EU-PoTaRCh-establishes a network for the past, present and future of use of major non-timber forest raw materials and products in Europe. Whilst it will focus on forest by-products mainly Potash Tar Resin Charcoal (PoTaRCh)–as representatives of traditional forest exploitation heritage, it will touch upon other forest by-products (tannins, pitches). The scholarly vision is to enlighten the relevance of these products in history, especially their role in industrialization. The goal is to identify and assess production changes and their social and environmental impacts on sustainable development, and based on their heritage, to draw lessons for the future. The Action will support stakeholders who know these products and are interested in them, as they use them in the production, education, and promotion of heritage. Due to the participation of stakeholders with significantly different activity profiles (museums, state forests, associations, etc.), hence high diversity of needs will have to be answered by this Action. The Action will put emphasis on ITCs participation, which have a rich history of producing PoTaRCh, and also special attention to Gender balance mobilizing in particular women to act as leaders of WG, STMS and workshop organizers. The Action will help to find ways to sustainable forest use and transfer knowledge to better methods and products in the bioeconomy.