The people behind wood sourcing verification at IKEA
At IKEA, wood isn’t just a material – it’s at the heart of creating a better everyday life. Driven by the belief that we can use our operations to do a little more tomorrow than today, we constantly work to improve our business practices. Over several decades, we have built in-house expertise to verify and ensure that the wood we use is sourced in line with our requirements.
An experienced global team
We have developed a comprehensive wood control system that requires our suppliers to comply with legal requirements and to adhere to IWAY, the IKEA supplier code of conduct. In addition to third-party certifications and audits, we have a global team of auditors and raw material developers to uphold these standards. They support suppliers, perform regular wood supply chain audits, and collaborate with others.
Meet Maciej!
Maciej is an IKEA raw material developer based in Poland. He has spent years tracing the journey of wood from forest to furniture. Since joining IKEA in 2017, Maciej has been at the forefront of verifying the origin and species of wood used in IKEA products.
Maciej’s work takes him deep into sawmills and forests, where he cross-checks supplier records with real-world conditions. At sawmills, he checks legal documentation and ensures that wood has been harvested in line with national regulations and applicable forest management standards. At logging sites, he ensures that operations are independently certified and in line with local regulations and sustainability standards.
Meet Cristina!
As a sustainability specialist, part of Cristina’s job is visiting our direct business partners and suppliers to ensure they are working in compliance with the IWAY requirements. IWAY, our supplier code of conduct, sets clear requirements and expectations for environmental, social and working conditions in the supply chain.
During her compliance checks, Cristina ensures the foundations for business practice are in place. The visits also offer an opportunity for both IKEA and the supplier to discuss how the supplier’s management system works in practice, as well as exchange insights into raw materials, upcoming changes and any shared challenges and opportunities ahead. Cristina supports our partners through continuous collaboration and training.
Unveiling nature's fingerprints
Did you know that trees, like fingerprints, carry unique markers based on where they grow? These chemical signatures are influenced by factors like soil, climate, and geography.
Blending technology and expertise
As an extra safeguard, IKEA is integrating rapidly developing wood tracing technology and forensic methods, such as anatomical, isotope, and DNA analysis, to verify wood origins and ensure compliance with IWAY, following a risk-based approach. The wood tracing process at IKEA combines cutting-edge technology with hands-on work. It begins with raw material developers reviewing supplier reports and flagging anything unusual. Once an issue is flagged, samples are collected and sent to specialised laboratories for analysis. The analysis confirms if the wood sample's profile matches the supplier's stated origin. If the analysis shows that the wood has a different origin from the one stated, the deliveries are stopped immediately.
By working with World Forest ID, a nonprofit organisation, IKEA has supported the creation of a global database of wood samples. Using this database, raw material developers at IKEA can analyse the chemical composition of any wood sample and confirm its origin accurately.