ProPopulus Team
With the aim of encouraging the development of alternative hardwood species, the Belgian organisation Hout Info Bois launched the campaign Be creative! With the poplar!
This initiative focuses on highlighting the potential of poplar as a versatile and competitive material aligned with evolving market demands. After just over a year, the sector has been able to take stock of the project and draw relevant lessons for the future.
The idea emerged within the hardwood sawmill commission of the Belgian Wood Confederation following a clear observation: in Belgium, value creation from hardwood species is largely dominated by oak, while other species – including poplar – remain underutilised beyond traditional applications such as packaging or pallets. In response, Hout Info Bois decided to initially focus its efforts on a single species: poplar; acting simultaneously on both supply and demand.
To stimulate material availability, the National Technical Information Centre for Wood pre-financed the production of 100 m³ of poplar, distributing it among ten timber merchants across the country (approximately one per province) in order to facilitate its commercialisation. At the same time, a promotional campaign was launched in specialised media, particularly architecture and interior design magazines, highlighting applications in interior design such as cladding, furniture and construction solutions.
The project aimed to showcase the qualities of poplar: a local species that is relatively available, easy to work with and suitable for a wide range of uses. From panels and furniture to structural timber or even exterior cladding when thermally treated, poplar offers a light and neutral aesthetic that can adapt to different styles and finishes. It can also substitute species such as ayous, spruce or pine, while remaining competitively priced.
However, the project’s implementation was not without challenges. The year 2024 was particularly rainy, which delayed harvesting operations and the extraction of timber from forest plots. In addition, supplier changes and technical challenges related to drying had to be addressed. For interior applications, the wood needed to reach a moisture content of 8–12%, requiring artificial drying. This process can be complex for poplar, as the wood tends to deform if drying is accelerated too much. The experience highlighted the importance of allowing the timber to air-dry for two to three months before kiln drying.
From a commercial perspective, results were varied but generally encouraging. In several timber merchants, volumes sold quickly, particularly in the form of panels, confirming the product’s appeal for interior applications. In other cases, sales progressed more slowly, highlighting the need to strengthen training for sales teams and provide support tools such as samples or technical documentation.
Some distributors noted that success depended largely on the internal commitment of sales teams and the visibility of the product at the point of sale. The importance of ensuring continuity in supply was also emphasised in order to avoid the initiative being perceived as a one-off operation without long-term prospects.
The project confirmed the potential of poplar as a local species with broad development opportunities. In the coming months, poplar will also benefit from a visual grading standard for structural timber in Belgium, which could further strengthen its positioning in this segment. However, the experience also showed that relaunching a species requires coordinated efforts across the entire value chain: producers, sawmills, distributors and specifiers must all move in the same direction.
The campaign Be creative! With the poplar! has demonstrated that there is genuine interest in diversifying hardwood uses and reducing pressure on traditionally dominant species. Although there is still progress to be made, initiatives like this help open new market opportunities and reinforce the use of local resources in line with the principles of the bioeconomy and the transition towards more sustainable materials.
The Belgian case shows that the development of poplar depends not only on its technical or aesthetic qualities, but also on the sector’s ability to coordinate, communicate and embrace innovation. Forest diversification and the promotion of local species are key elements in adapting the value chain to current and future challenges.
