Agriculture and industry

Poplar trees, enterprise-region agreement for the development of the sector

Renewed and extended agreement to enhance domestic production and reduce foreign dependency

by Giovanna Mancini

12 September 2025

3' min read

Key points

The objectives of the agreement
Poplar numbers
Leading associations

3' min read

The first agreement (signed in Venice in 2014) had finally stemmed the progressive decline of poplar cultivation in our country, which had seen the volume of hectares allocated to this crop fall from 175 thousand in the 1970s to 37 thousand in 2010. Having then returned to growth, today the Italian poplar supply chain can look forward to a doubling of its volumes, thanks to a second agreement signed yesterday in Milan between five regions and the industrial associations involved, with the aim of reducing the dependence of this raw material on foreign imports (Italy currently imports around 1.2 million cubic metres, mainly from France and Hungary) and enhancing the national supply chain, which not only represents excellence, but also plays an important role in the supply of raw material for the wood, paper and furniture industries.

The objectives of the understanding

The 'New Agreement for the Development of the Poplar Supply Chain' was signed yesterday at Palazzo Lombardia between the councillors of five regions (Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Friuli-Venezia Giulia), the professional agricultural organisations (Coldiretti, Cia and Confagricoltura) and the main stakeholders and research bodies involved in the development of the supply chain, such as the Italian Poplar Growers' Association, FederlegnoArredo, Crea, Pefc Italia, Fsc Italia and the Italian Forest Wood Cluster.

"This supply chain is fundamental for many industries in our country, but today we do not produce enough poplar wood to feed real national excellences such as the furniture sector, forcing our country to resort to imports,' said Alessandro Beduschi, Lombardy Region's councillor for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests. 'With this agreement we want to reverse the course and restore centrality to a crop that can guarantee the future, employment, and is a guarantor of environmental sustainability and hydrogeological safety.

The hope of the companies is also that this revival of poplar cultivation 'can be integrated with a recognition of carbon dioxide credits to the supply chain,' observes Paolo Fantoni, president of Assopannelli of FederlegnoArredo. Indeed, poplar is able to store CO2 and therefore has an important environmental value, which must be recognised'.

The Numbers of Poplar Cultivation

According to data provided by FederlegnoArredo's study centre, poplar cultivation, although occupying only 1% of Italy's forest area, provides 45% of the domestic timber processed in the country and about 33% of the timber used by the wood-furniture sector. National demand is estimated at 2.2 million cubic metres per year, while domestic production does not exceed 1 million cubic metres, forcing Italy to be the world's second largest poplar importer after China.

In order to achieve industrial self-sufficiency, at least 115 thousand cultivated hectares would be needed, compared to about 50 thousand hectares today. In addition to wood-furniture, the poplar raw material feeds other key supply chains such as plywood and panels (EUR 2.5 billion turnover) and the paper industry, which employs 20 thousand people in 160 plants, worth EUR 6.7 billion, half of which is exported.

The leading associations

"European estimates hint at the risk that, by 2040, demand for wood will far exceed natural availability, due both to the increase in demand for woody biomass and to the growing difficulties of access to wood in many territories," added Paolo Fantoni. "In this scenario, it becomes strategic to focus on dedicated woody crops. And the poplar plantation is exemplary for its rapid growth, which already after 10 years makes it possible to obtain wood that can be used for packaging, panels, furniture and other industrial uses, thus making a concrete contribution to national and European security of supply'.

For Nicoletta Azzi, Vice-President of Assopannelli, "only through a systemic approach will it be possible to strengthen the role of poplar cultivation. It will be essential to provide targeted incentives for the expansion of poplar cultivation areas and to facilitate access to European funds, recognising poplar as a strategic resource for the green economy and ecological transition".

Confagricoltura's board member, Cesare Soldi, emphasised that, thanks to this agreement, 'it will be possible to solve many critical issues that operators are currently facing. Starting with the new constraints arising from the European Nature Restoration Regulation and the progressive reduction in remuneration and therefore in the competitiveness of companies'.