Carrefour, FSC, and Mahou San Miguel unite to restore forests after fire in Tarifa, Spain

On 1 July 2025, Carrefour, FSC, and Mahou San Miguel held a conference to present the restoration efforts in the mountains of Las Piñas de Tarifa in Cádiz, Spain. This ecologically significant area, connecting the natural parks of Los Alcornocales and El Estrecho, was devastated by a fire in 2024 that destroyed 575 hectares and burned 60% of the forest.

The restoration initiative is part of the Committed to Our Forests project (Comprometidos con Nuestros Bosques in Spanish), promoted by Carrefour and FSC Spain and supported by Mahou San Miguel since its launch in 2017.  

Recovery of 25 hectares with 6,500 native trees and 250 species

The location, altitude, and influence of the Atlantic give the forests around Las Piñas de Tarifa a high ecological value. After the fire, significant effort was required to recover this value, restore burned areas, and prevent future forest fires.

The project has reforested 25 hectares with 6,500 native species of trees such as coak and gall oaks. These trees provide a habitat for 250 animal species including birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and will absorb more than 6,000 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

During the conference, Carrefour Club members and customers collaborated to construct ‘hotels’ for insects in the area. This activity, together with the restoration of the existing water reservoir and the installation of burrows to improve pastures, forms part of the work needed to improve the natural habitat of these species.

Shared commitments for biodiversity

"This initiative is much more than a reforestation project. It is an environmental commitment to our customers and to society, supporting biodiversity by creating resilient ecosystems. Our goal is to promote this environmental mobilization with our suppliers in Spain, together with local authorities and local communities," said Elodie Perthuisot, Executive Director, Carrefour Spain.

"At FSC Spain we firmly believe in the power of cooperation to restore biodiversity and protect our forests. Projects like Committed to Our Forests demonstrate how companies, local authorities, and society can join forces for a common goal. Thanks to Carrefour's leadership and Mahou San Miguel's commitment, we are achieving real, concrete, and impactful interventions. These alliances allow us to articulate concrete, visible and impactful actions that bring life back to degraded spaces. FSC provides the necessary guarantee and rigor so that each step contributes to preserve biodiversity. We will continue to work so that every hectare restored is a legacy for future generations,” said Roberto Rubio, Executive Director of FSC Spain.

"As leaders in the brewing sector, we feel a deep responsibility to promote and develop initiatives like this that generate shared value. This program not only protects natural environments, but also leaves a positive footprint in the communities where we are present, generating employment, promoting sustainable tourism, and actively involving the inhabitants of each locality we visit," said Peio Arbeloa, General Manager Business Unit Spain of Mahou San Miguel.

As a result of this collaboration to regenerate degraded areas, combine reforestation with fire prevention, protect endangered species, and promote sustainable forestry, Committed to Our Forests has become a flagship environmental initiative in Spain.