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Sweden’s forests play a huge role in Europe’s forest-products sector, and in Europe’s biodiversity and carbon ambitions. In northern Sweden, these same forests are also the traditional territory of Indigenous Sami reindeer herding communities that depend on older, lichen-rich woodlands. Swedish governments have relied on forest owners, industry, and other stakeholders to reach a consensus and take voluntary actions to balance these competing objectives.
But, in practice, natural forests are being replaced on a very large scale by planted even-aged stands – boosting commercial production and provoking protests about the damage done to biodiversity and the viability of reindeer herding.
Since 2017, Earthworm Foundation has engaged forest companies, suppliers, NGOs, and Sami reindeer herding representatives on the challenges in Sweden’s forests. Our goal is to ensure that forests in our members’ packaging supply chains are managed in accordance with their policies to protect biodiversity and respect indigenous peoples’ rights. We do that by helping our members, such as Nestle and 3M, understand the complex situation in northern Sweden and foster collaboration between supply chain partners and others around practical, scalable solutions.
In economic terms, the Swedish forest industry has been a huge success. With less than half of 1% of the world’s production forest, Sweden has become a global top 5 exporter of forest products and has more than double the number of standing stock now than it had a century ago.
This was achieved through strategic investment in the forest industry fed by an increasingly industrial forest sector, and it played a crucial role in transforming Sweden’s economy. Many saw Sweden as a model of sustainable forestry for the world to follow. Still, concerns are mounting about its impacts on biodiversity, forest-dependent Indigenous people and other communities, reduced growth in stored carbon over climate critical periods, and the resilience of increasingly uniform forests to the pressures of climate change.
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Changing forest dynamics
Large areas of diverse natural forest have been replaced with a more uniform, younger, even-aged, single-species planted forest across forest landscapes, impacting biodiversity.
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Sami reindeer herding community livelihoods and traditional way of life 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.
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The increasing demand for Sweden’s forests for more production
It can only be met by harvesting most of the remaining unprotected natural forests and replacing them with industrial stands. This will affect biodiversity and reindeer herding and result in less carbon being sequestered from the atmosphere and stored in forests during the crucial period in which global net emissions must peak and start to decline by 2050.
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Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) at a crossroads in Sweden
FSC plays a key role in setting the standard for sustainable forest management in Sweden, especially in protecting Sami Reindeer Herders’ rights. However, as natural forests continue to be replaced, all but two environmental NGOs have left FSC Sweden, and the support of some leading forest companies is increasingly in doubt. While certification has not been perfect, it is a critical tool for downstream companies’ ability to source responsibly – and they want to see it improved and strengthened, rather than abandoned.
At Earthworm Foundation, we focus on practical, science-based interventions that create measurable impact. Our approach is built on three key pillars:
Equipping our members with deeper insights into Sweden’s forestry challenges to align their sourcing policies with sustainability realities.
Striving for companies to be more open and transparent in identifying and protecting High Conservation Value (HCV) forests and ensuring Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for Indigenous communities.
Encouraging industry-wide alignment on robust systems to safeguard natural forests
Strengthening supply chain commitments to ethical forestry practices, including enhanced due diligence and risk assessments
Promoting responsible forest management models, such as "Closer to Nature" approaches where feasible
Facilitating dialogue among brands, suppliers, NGOs, and Indigenous representatives to influence sustainable forestry policies
Supporting pilot initiatives that test alternative management approaches and ensure fair sustainability costs and benefits distribution
Working with key stakeholders to improve FSC Sweden standards, ensuring they remain a trusted tool for responsible forest management
At Earthworm Foundation, we believe that responsible forestry in Sweden requires a shift toward ecological resilience, Indigenous rights protection, and sustainable industry practices. Our vision is grounded in two key transformations:
1. Align Responsible Sourcing
with On-the-Ground Action
2. Strengthen Collaboration
for Lasting Change
Sweden’s forests are at a crossroads—how can we balance commercial forestry with biodiversity conservation and Indigenous rights? The Healthy Forest Landscapes (HFL) Methodology provides a clear, actionable framework to guide companies, policymakers, and communities toward a more sustainable future.
Download the HFL Approach Methodology to explore how this methodology is shaping real-world change in Sweden’s forests.
At the same time, Sweden’s northern forests are changing—how can we ensure they remain resilient for people, nature, and climate? Earthworm Foundation, Nestlé, SCA, and DS Smith have collaborated on a report exploring the evolving landscapes of Västerbotten. This report offers insights and practical recommendations for biodiversity protection, carbon conservation, and fostering coexistence between commercial forestry and reindeer herding.
Read the Västerbotten HFL Report for key findings and solutions shaping the future of sustainable forest management.
Explore our work on responsible forest sourcing: Healthy Forest Landscapes
