IKEA has a reputation as a fine company with a sense of responsible use of wood. However, cutting into a grove of 600-year-old trees in Russia, especially since so much of old growth wood has been cut, it seems irresponsible and even greedy to cut down these giants for cutting boards, spoons, furniture and other items for IKEA. 
There are renewable and sustainable forests that can be used to supply your wood needs. AKEA could even build a reputation as growers of renewable and sustainable forests and set a model for other fine furniture makers. 
Cutting into these old growths do more than destroy forests, it destroys habitats for other living things; we need to be preservers instead of squanderers of such treasures.

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Joan,

I was all prepared to be mad at IKEA, but with this article, I'm confused.  "average age of the trees that its harvests in Karelia is 160 years" which seems old, but really seems like re-growth.  I don't know how old the forests are in that region.   This article gives a more damning slant, "Swedwood was clear-cutting virgin trees 200 to 600 years old and in areas of “high conservation value."   This article is even more damning.

*

Actually, the more I read, I am starting to get mad at IKEA.  We really don't need cheaply built boxy shoddy furniture made from raping virgin forest.

Oh dear, my ignorance keeps catching up with me. I don't own, nor have I seen IKEA furniture, but I really like their advertisements. Guess I am just another gullible P.R. consumer. And since I don't buy furniture, or haven't for more than 50 years, I am not current on quality pieces. Yes, the claims don't fit their reality (surprise!) 

"In Karelia, harvesters overturn the centuries-old trees within seconds. 800 trees per day are logged, debranched and stacked for transport to the furniture factory. The six foot high tyres plough through the soft marshy ground. It will take decades to recover. Day-to-day IKEA is logging more species-rich primeval forest. Barren and dreary clear-cut stretches are taking over."

Stop IKEA logging old-growth forests in Russia

S.B. I do appreciate your input and further evidence of unacceptable practices. Thanks. 

Thanks for the link Sentient! Joan I didn't know they were clear cutting forests for their furniture. That's terrible.

AAaargh! I just finished putting together two IKEA bookcases! And I signed the petition, of course.

Chris, how is the quality of their bookcases? Are they a cheap or expensive brand? Jeeze! Who can we trust if we can't trust advertisers! (gullible, aren't I!)

Not too bad, rather good for low budget bookcases. Ikea products are cheap, easy to mix with all sorts of furniture and give rather good value for little money. We have got quite a lot of it. We came here six years ago with very few sticks of furniture because we had always made most ourselves; desks, beds and bookcases. We sold it all together with our old apartment.

Well, good quality at low price provides good motives for using a brand. Finding there is a cost to the planet for such products presents daunting challenges. One by one, our favorite brands wither under scrutiny.  

Interesting that you made most of your own furniture ... sounds hauntingly familiar of our family. All those hand made pieces have been lost to me ... I didn't realize their value until too late.  

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