Ikea’s supplier cut healthy trees under the pretext that they are sick or dead

Staffan Lindberg

Ikea present itself as a world leader in sustainability and claims to never accept illegal wood in its products.

But Aftonbladet can reveal that Ikea’s Ukrainian subcontractor is harvesting healthy trees under the pretext that they are sick or dead.

Below are the key findings of our investigation, in English.

• For several years, Ikea has been buying wood from Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, home to some of Europe's last preserved primeval forests that are critical for the climate and for biodiversity.
• In June 2020, the UK NGO Earthsight claimed that Ikea's subcontractors in Ukraine, the state forest company Velyky Bychkiv and furniture manifacturer VGSM, were felling trees illegally during the so called silent season in the spring, when wildlife is to be protected. The wood ended up in the popular chairs ”Terje” and ”Ingolf”, among others. Ikea denied any wrongdoing.
• Aftonbladet traveled to the Velyky Bychkiv area in Ukraine. With the help of a biologist and forestry expert, the journalists visited four differens sites marked for sanitary cutting.
• According to the forest company, the trees at the four sites were affected by Armillaria mellea. However, none of the trees inspected at the four sites showed any signs of either fungi or decay. Healthy trees were marked for logging, in violation of Ukrainian forest laws.
• An area manager from the forestry company also confirmed that healthy trees are felled for economic reasons.
• In addition, Aftonbladet’s journalists witnessed further possible violations of Ukrainian environmental legislation. Hollow trees critical to owls and protected by law were marked for cutting. Heavy trucks were crossing streams on numerous places, in breach with environmental regulations.
• Aftonbladet also witnessed foresters cutting trees for Velyky Bychkiv, without wearing protective clothing or even helmets.
• Ikea's subcontractor is currently planning protective felling at 249 locations.
• Ikea has refused to meet with Aftonbladet to respond to the information. Instead, the company has chosen to answer a number of general questions in writing. The furniture company say, among other things:
• "Ikea never accepts illegally harvested wood and works actively to counteract the risk of it entering our supply chain.”