Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

Resin processing has played a crucial yet often overlooked role in the development of early industrial economies and forest-based resource management. Its historical significance spans from the maritime empires of the 16th century to the industrial expansion of the 20th century, illustrating how natural forest resources were systematically harnessed to meet evolving technological and economic demands. This review provides a comprehensive historical analysis of Portugal’s resin processing industry, focusing on the production of tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine from pine resin. Drawing on archival sources and interdisciplinary research, the study traces the sector’s evolution from early dependence on imports to the establishment of domestic production centred in the Leiria Pine Forest. Technological innovations, such as Ragusan and Varnhagen kilns, alongside state interventions in the 19th and 20th centuries, were instrumental in promoting industrial-scale processing. This analysis highlights the interplay between environmental resources, technological change, and industrial policy in shaping this distinctive aspect of Portugal’s economic and cultural heritage. It also underscores the potential to revalue resin-related traditions within contemporary frameworks for sustainable forestry and economic development. Finally, this study traces the transformation of Portugal’s resin industry from a modest, state-supported activity into a structured sector before World War II, with reforms in forest management and integration into international markets paving the way for its post-war emergence as a major global exporter.