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Traditional farming landscapes in South and Central Portugal, known as montados, are affected by global socio-economic and biophysical pressures, putting the sustainability of the systems in jeopardy. Cork oak trees (Quercus suber L.) are characteristic features of these complex agro-silvo-pastoral agroforestry systems, delivering a globally important product, cork. The increasingly distant, global scale of decision making and trade can consequently be observed on the local, landscape, scale. In this study, we use a value chain approach to test the concept that landscape products can ensure sustainable management of the landscape of origin. We interviewed agents—cork producers, intermediaries, industrial transformers, and winemakers—about the challenges they perceived in the business and how these were connected to the landscape of origin. We illustrate the network of agents and sub-actors involved in the sector and highlight the most prominent concerns. We conclude that this approach can reveal the major points for determining the future of the montado, and we suggest that collaboration amongst value chain agents can be a pathway to landscape sustainability.

Context The management of Portuguese agroforestry landscapes is currently focused on specialised cork and cattle production. Sustainable landscape management is increasingly discussed as an effective option to foster the multifunctionality of these landscapes. Such management requires consideration of multiple values connected to the landscape and to the products stemming from it. Objectives The aim of this study is to (1) assess the importance of specific values related to cork and to the cork production landscapes, (2) analyse how values differ across the value chain actors, and (3) compare the types of values associated to cork and the cork production landscapes. Methods We combine value chain analysis with the concept of plural valuation in order to illuminate the values amongst value chain actors. We conducted interviews with 62 actors divided across the value chain using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results We found that a broad range of instrumental, intrinsic and relational values were expressed by our respondents. Our results show an imbalance between the perception of the ecosystem health expressed by actors involved in the industrial transformation of cork compared to those directly involved with the landscape. This imbalance shows the necessity to find a common management ideal for cork production landscapes favouring multifunctionality. Conclusions Our study shows the relevance of considering plural values when planning and implementing sustainable landscape management. Integrated into a landscape approach, value chain analysis is useful in reaching actors in order to uncover different points of view towards a single landscape. Our study suggests that focusing on the multifunctional nature of the cork production landscapes may be key in ensuring a sustainable future for this social-ecological system.