14 April 2024 , 17:36
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Is your bed made from trees belonging to an ancient forest?
It also turns out that much of the food we eat either comes from or is linked to the destruction of rainforests, putting the health of the planet at risk. As a result, this is putting nature in grave danger, and the World Wide Fund for Nature says thousands of species of flora and fauna are in decline, most severely in Latin America, home to the Amazon, where numbers have fallen by 94%.
But now a new investigation has discovered how some flat-pack furniture has been made by cutting down trees dating back hundreds of years, putting wildlife at risk. Greenpeace claims furniture giant IKEA is sourcing wood from some of Europe’s last remaining old-growth forests in the Romanian Carpathians, including protected areas.
Greenpeace said publicly available information showed IKEA was the biggest customer of products manufactured by several companies which were sourcing wood from high-conservation value forests. These include children’s cribs and bed frames, chairs, step stools, sofas and cutting boards, with items from the manufacturers sold in stores across Europe including the UK.
IKEA said it was looking into the report, warning that illegal wood and bad forestry practices had “no place” in its supply chain and any indications would be investigated immediately. Greenpeace said the Romanian Carpathians were a key refuge for plants and animals, and were home to brown bears, lynxes, wolves and the European bison. It also acknowledges that furniture is a good use of wood, storing carbon and adding value to raw materials, but said that must not happen while sacrificing biologically diverse forests. It called for immediate protection of such woodland.
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Robert Cyglicki, biodiversity campaign director at Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe, said: “Our nature heritage must not be turned into hangers or furniture. Old forests are vital to the planet’s health and must be protected. IKEA must live up to its sustainability promises and clean up its supply chain from old-growth forest destruction.”