What principles determine animal welfare?

All IKEA companies are responsible for the activities within their business area, ensure monitoring and document the results. In case of deviations from regulations, immediate action must be taken and animal welfare ensured.

The following principles guide our work:

• Animals are treated with respect. That geese and ducks are plucked alive and force-fed is unacceptable.
• Animals have sufficient and appropriate exercise and shelters where they are undisturbed, can live stress-free and animal-friendly, are protected from injury.
• Animals have access to sufficient, regular feeding and fresh water.
• Health and vitality of animals must be ensured. Animals must have rapid access to health diagnosis in case of emergency. Unnecessary suffering, injuries and deaths must be avoided at all costs.
• Means of transport, methods of slaughter must be chosen and carried out in such a way as to minimize the stress and suffering of the animals.

IKEA only works with partners who share our values, making necessary improvements and actively managing change to improve animal welfare throughout the IKEA supply chain. For example, no IKEA manufacturer is allowed to source feathers and down from a slaughterhouse that also plucks live. The risk of confusion is too great. The slaughterhouse must prove which farm the animals come from, so IKEA can also monitor their rearing on a random basis.

Leather and skins, feathers, down and other animal components of our items are secondary raw materials from the food industry. No animal is specially raised for an IKEA item.