Words by Smiley Team
As one of the world’s leading companies for sustainability last year, Ikea owner Ingka Group continues to show its dedication to the environment in 2021. Buying nearly 11,000 acres of forest in the US state of Georgia purely to defend it against development, the company has conserved a valuable carbon sink and habitat for wildlife including the threatened gopher tortoise.
Ingka Group acquired the forestland from The Conservation Fund, a non-profit conservation organization that has protected over eight million acres of land in the US.
Located in southeast Georgia near the Altamaha River Basin, the land is distinct for its high conservation value. Spanning over roughly 10,840 acres, the forest was handed to Ingka Group due to the company’s proven responsible forest management.
“We are honoured to work with Ingka Group and applaud its dedication to preserve and enhance forest quality in the US and Europe. Well-managed forests provide essential benefits, including clean water and important wildlife habitat, as well as mitigating climate change,” said Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund.
The Conservation Fund transferred the land to Ingka Group on the condition that they agree to maintain legally binding conservation agreements. These include the obligation to protect the land from unsustainable farming practices, restore the longleaf pine forest, and safeguard the habitat of the gopher tortoise. Under the agreements, the land is open to the public, which it wouldn’t usually be so under other owners.
By protecting woodland for wildlife and the climate, Ikea is setting companies an example to follow. Between September 2019 and August 2020 Ingka Group planted 600,000 seedlings afforesting 1,186 acres of US land and close to seven million seedlings around the world.
Managing director of Ingka Investments Krister Mattsson said: “We are committed to managing our forests sustainably while at the same time meeting our business objectives. In all our properties, we pay special attention to ensuring environmental protection, so we are happy to see that our efforts in working with responsible forest management are being seen and trusted.”
The acquisition of these lands forms part of Ingka Group’s Working Forest Fund process, through which they identify and buy important, at-risk private forests, develop sustainable harvest and restoration plans, enforce permanent conservation rules, and then resell the permanently conserved forest to a private or public buyer.
If you’re a company or individual interested in protecting forest across the US, you can support The Conservation Fund by donating to their cause.
For more information about the Working Forest Fund, visit the fund’s website.
