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The resilience of Sweden’s forests is crucial for global supply chains, biodiversity, and the Indigenous Sami communities that depend on them. Since 2017, Earthworm Foundation has been working with companies, suppliers, NGOs, and Indigenous representatives to address the challenges in Sweden’s forests. Our focus has been building understanding, fostering engagement, and identifying practical solutions.

However, Sweden's forestry sector faces growing pressures. Built on decades of mechanisation and efficiency gains in its clear-fell model, it has achieved high productivity levels. As one of the world's top five exporters of forest products, Sweden plays a crucial role in the global fibre supply. Yet, this has also resulted in:

However, forestry in Sweden faces increasing pressures. Sweden’s forestry sector is built on decades of mechanisation and increasing efficiency in its clear-fell model, enabling high productivity levels. Moreover, Sweden is a significant fibre source, ranking among the top 5 global exporters of forest products. However, this has also led to:

• Forest transformation – Large areas of diverse natural forest have been replaced with even-aged, single-species planted forest, impacting biodiversity.
• Sami RHC livelihoods at risk – The traditional practice of reindeer herding is becoming more difficult due to the rapidly changing landscape driven largely by forestry and climate change.
• Increasing demand, rising pressure – With restrictions on Russian wood imports, harvesting rates have intensified, increasing harvesting rates. 
• FSC at a crossroads – While FSC plays a key role in setting protections, it has lost the support of many NGOs, and some forest companies are considering leaving the certification system.

These challenges are complex, but there is an opportunity to create a more sustainable and resilient forestry sector in Sweden through meaningful collaboration.

The question is no longer whether these challenges exist but how we can work together to ensure forests remain a source of economic value, ecological resilience, and forest-dependent community well-being.

Our approach focuses on practical, science-based solutions that drive measurable change.

1️. Building Capacity for Responsible Sourcing

• Equipping our members with a deeper understanding of the challenges in Sweden’s forests in line with their responsible sourcing policies
• Helping companies align their sourcing commitments with on-the-ground realities, including protecting High Conservation Values (HCV) and Indigenous People and Local Community (IPLC) rights.

2️. Advancing Transparency and Action

• Promoting industry players to align on transparent and robust systems to identify and protect High Conservation Value (HCV) forests.
• Encouraging Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes to safeguard the livelihoods of the Sami Reindeer Herding Community.
• Promoting a shift towards "Closer to Nature Forestry" practices where possible.

3️. Driving Systemic Change Through Collaboration

• Bringing brands, suppliers, NGOs, and Indigenous representatives together to support shaping forestry policies with consensus among key stakeholders.
• Engaging in collective action initiatives that help pilot projects to transition towards alternative forest management models and distribute both the costs and benefits of sustainable forestry across the supply chain.
• Encouraging producer companies to maintain, support and improve FSC Sweden standards to ensure they remain a trusted tool for forest protection.

We envision two key transformations in how Sweden’s forests are managed and sourced:

1. Aligning Responsible Sourcing Commitments with Supplier Practices

To achieve this, we encourage our members to:

• Engage with suppliers to ensure clear commitments to FPIC and HCV protection.
• Reaffirm their commitment to sourcing from FSC-certified suppliers who are actively working to improve certification standards.
• Transition towards more sustainable forestry approaches where feasible.
• Work alongside Nestlé and other partners to strengthen sourcing policies that support biodiversity conservation and Indigenous rights.

2️. Strengthening Collaboration for Industry-Wide Change

• Encouraging collective action to improve responsible forest management.
• Engaging in advocacy efforts that drive change for people, nature, and climate.
• Promoting shared responsibility, ensuring the financial costs of sustainability are fairly distributed across the supply chain.
• Supporting Nestlé’s leadership in integrating sustainable sourcing principles into broader industry discussions and commitments.

Sustainable forest management in Sweden requires continued collaboration, transparency, and action. Our next steps include:

• Ongoing member engagement – Supporting companies in aligning their sourcing commitments with real-world sustainability challenges.
• Industry dialogue and policy influence – Encouraging industry-wide improvements to FSC standards and responsible forestry practices.
• Strengthening collaboration with stakeholders – Bringing together NGOs, Indigenous groups, and industry leaders to create shared solutions.
• Field visits and continued learning – Engaging with partners on the ground to further understand key issues and develop practical interventions. 
• Supporting Nestlé’s ongoing work – Ensuring that biodiversity hotspots and Indigenous rights remain at the core of responsible sourcing strategies.

At Earthworm Foundation, we are committed to working alongside all stakeholders to drive positive change in Sweden’s forests. We believe real transformation happens through shared knowledge, engagement, and a commitment to practical solutions.

Explore our work on responsible forest sourcing:  Healthy Forest Landscapes