IKEA – Forest Manager Ingka Buys Out Södra’s Baltic Assets
The world’s largest IKEA retailer has absorbed Södra’s Latvian and Estonian forest assets, adding more than 152,000 hectares to its fast‑growing global portfolio.
Ingka Investments — the investment arm of Ingka Group, IKEA’s largest retailer — has completed its largest forest transition to date, with 135,232 hectares in Latvia (85% productive) and 17,742 hectares in Estonia (89% productive) formally transferred from Sweden’s largest forest owners’ association on Friday.
“We are pleased to have completed this transaction with Södra,” said Peter van der Poel, Managing Director of Ingka Investments, who confirmed the company now manages more than 480,000 hectares of forests worldwide, including 230,000 hectares in Latvia alone. “Our intention is to be a stable, long‑term owner of this forestland, managing it responsibly to create long‑lasting value for the regional economy, the climate and the local communities who depend on these forests.”
“As a renewable resource, wood plays a vital role in the future, and we are committed to ensuring its continued availability through responsible forest management that preserves and strengthens these forests for generations to come.”
Originally reported by WoodScanner in October, the sale marks a decisive shift for Södra — Sweden’s largest forest owners’ association, representing more than 50,000 family forest owners, which moved early last year to divest its Baltic estate. The cooperative is also tightening its focus on members’ forests in southern Sweden and reinforcing its balance sheet after a period of volatile markets. Now with the transaction closed, Södra’s Baltic footprint has shrunk to two timber import companies, one in Latvia and one in Estonia.