Skip to main content
View over a green lush forest

Forestland Investments

Icon of people Icon of a plant Icon of wood

‘Our forests are mankind’s greatest assets’

– Ingvar Kamprad, 1996  

Wood is an essential part of the IKEA identity. We invest in forestland because we believe we can play an important role in supplying wood from more sustainable sources for our everyday lives.  

We invest in forestland for the long term to ensure this vital resource is managed responsibly, so that forests remain forests forever. Responsible wood sourcing is crucial for a healthier planet, a more sustainable future and more balanced ecosystems for generations to come.  

Our portfolio in numbers 

  • More than 280,000 hectares of forests in six countries (the Baltic states, Romania, United States and Aotearoa New Zealand) 
  • 8.35 million seedlings planted (financial year 2023 level) 
  • 2,261 hectares of afforestation and 3,052 hectares of regeneration (financial year 2023) 
  • 10% of our portfolio is set aside, meaning there are no commercial activities in it, and another 10% of our land has conservation objectives as their main goal 
  • About 5% of our harvested wood goes back into IKEA products through the open market. 
A fallen tree trunk with tick mushrooms
Rows of small tree plants on farmland

Responsible forest management

Through our everyday work we want to show that responsible forest management is good from both a commercial and environmental perspective. We manage our forest portfolio with a focus on three pillars – wood as a vital resource, engagement with communities and partners and long-term mindset.

Wood as a vital resource  

Wood is a key pillar of our daily lives, and a vital resource economically and environmentally. People across the globe rely on wood products every day, whether it is in furniture, the paper they use or to heat their homes. 

Environmental protection is a very important aspect of forest management; we carefully monitor the growth of our forests, and never harvest more than all our forest growth. The wood is sold on the open market. 

A fifth of our forestland is managed with environmental objectives first, and half of that is exempt from any harvesting and specifically earmarked to protect rare, threatened, or endangered habitats and to foster biodiversity. 

Through proactive forest management, like the detailed mapping and monitoring of the areas we own and manage through digital tools, we can accelerate tree growth and produce higher quality raw materials as well as identify and preserve high conservation values (biodiversity, species, etc.). These materials become longer-lasting products that store CO2 for longer and require less processing.  

Piled up wood

Engagement with communities and partners 

Almost all of our forests are open to the public to be enjoyed. We want local people to enjoy the benefits of the forest, so we regularly connect with local communities for their input on how we manage the forests. We also make our forest management plans publicly available. 

Our local engagement also includes collaborations with conservation organisations to ensure we work with local experts when we conduct biodiversity studies, mapping and monitoring programmes.  

Besides complying with all local and national laws, we work closely with national authorities and contractors to improve forestry practices and closely monitor respect of rules and standards around corruption, safety, and workers’ rights. Our commitment to people extends to our belief in providing decent and meaningful work for those who depend on forests. We have strict procedures in place to ensure good working conditions for all foresters. 

We hold all our forestry partners accountable to our own strict standards as well as the most credible, global third-party certification systems.  

 

People working with planting trees on a slope

Long-term mindset 

We are working to stop deforestation and do not deforest anywhere. Instead, we ensure that wherever wood is harvested, the areas are replanted with seedlings or through natural regeneration. Our portfolio has a net growth estimate of 0.5 million cubic metres per year.  

We are also investing in afforestation: planting trees to create new forests on land that did not previously have forests on it, like land that is less suitable for highly productive crop farming. We’ve already invested €100m and planted seedlings to grow these new forests in the Baltics, the US and Aotearoa New Zealand as a long-term investment.  

We believe we need to focus more on renewable virgin materials and also shift to recycled materials, wherever possible. As such, wood fibres will become an increasingly important component of the world’s material base going forward – whether for its use in textiles, as a bioplastic or for soundproofing. By investing in forests, we are not only creating more carbon storage, but also helping to create a bigger market for more sustainable wood materials.  

Small, purple pine cones on tree branches

Latest news

Sustainable Forestry: An Investment in the Future

Ingka Investments plants sustainable forest in Florida

Ingka Investments buys US forestland from Conservation Fund

Ingka Investments announces New Zealand land investment