Ikea, the largest individual consumer of wood in the world, uses two million trees a year, 10% of which comes from Romania. Known as the Amazon of Europe, Romania has half of Europe's remaining old growth outside Scandinavia; yet half their timber is illegally harvested. Already two-thirds of its virgin forest has been cut.
Ikea is Romania's largest private landowner with over 115,349 acres. Though IKEA claims their timber is sustainably harvested, drone photos prove cutting in old growth forests.
In late 2019 two forest rangers were murdered. Doina Pana, former minister of waters and forests, was poisoned after attempting to crack down on illegal logging.
Ikea should stop cutting old forests and protect journalists and environmentalists who monitor their logging. As the world's largest furniture company, Ikea should prove they harvest sustainably.
