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WWF and Inter IKEA have extended their 20-year collaboration to include new projects in Colombia and Brazil. These projects aim to safeguard biodiversity and landscapes while also empowering local communities and curbing the alarming loss of forests.
In Brazil, a new project focuses on addressing environmental loss in the Atlantic Forest biome, the Cerrado biome, and the Tapajós river basin in the Amazon. The initiative aims to halt the conversion of natural forests to plantations through landscape conservation and recovery activities.
Together with local organisations, a forest hub is being developed in the north of Espirito Santo. In Cerrado and in the Amazon, partnerships with indigenous peoples and local communities aim to establish business networks and support value chains focusing on biodiversity and equal distribution. This includes generating sustainable income, improving quality of life, and reducing deforestation and soil degradation.
In Colombia, WWF and Inter IKEA collaborate with indigenous people and local communities to restore and protect forests in the Antioquia, Santander, and Cauca regions. By promoting responsible forest management, the initiative aims to increase knowledge and establish sustainable working methods in both plantations and natural forests.
The key strategy of the project is to strengthen community forest management and linkages to legal timber platforms. Expanding responsibly managed forest areas and empowering communities and smallholders is essential to all projects launched within the partnership with WWF.
The current phase of the projects in Brazil and Colombia will run from 2023-2025. The goal is to secure long-term agreements with local partners to continue the projects after 2025.
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The WWF-IKEA partnership is dedicated to safeguarding natural resources, transforming business practices, and benefiting people and the planet. This collaborative effort focuses on forests, cotton, freshwater, and climate, fostering ecologically sustainable business practices. More information about the partnership is available here.