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For more than 25 years, the IKEA-launched Sow a Seed project has contributed to the restoration of rainforests in Malaysian Borneo. Now a new phase, the Living Rainforest Restoration Lab, has been launched shifting focus toward research and knowledge sharing on these vital ecosystems. Source: Timberbiz The journey started in 1998, when IKEA’s founder Ingvar Kamprad initiated what would become Sow a Seed; a long standing and large-scale restoration project in the rainforests of Borneo. Jointly headed by SLU and the Malaysian Sabah Foundation, Sow a Seed is one of the world’s longest standing restorations of its kind. “This program is exceptional in its commitment to long-term impact. By combining a rare 25-year legacy of restoration work with a funding model spanning two consecutive decades, it creates a unique platform for generating knowledge that simply cannot emerge from short-term research,” said Petter Axelsson, researcher at SLU within the Sow a Seed-program. Large areas of rainforest in Borneo have been destroyed through irresponsible logging and wildfires in the 1980s and ’90s. But through the Sow a Seed-program they have come alive again. More than five million trees of more than 90 different indigenous tree species have repopulated the 18 500-ha area of rainforest. Wildlife has now returned. Borneo elephants, clouded leopards and orangutans have been spotted in the regrown forests, and today the area has been granted the highest level of forest protection in Malaysia. “There is growing awareness of the urgent need to halt biodiversity loss, and Sow a Seed is an important example of what’s possible. Over the past 28 years, it has not only helped restore rainforest and biodiversity but also built valuable knowledge along the way. “These insights demonstrate that regeneration is achievable and that what is learned here can help guide the recovery of other degraded rainforests in the future,” said Lena Julle, Chief Sustainability Officer, Inter IKEA Group. These achievements are evidence that regeneration and biodiversity restoration of even badly damaged rainforest is possible. The launch of the Living Rainforest Restoration Lab then marks a new chapter where focus shifts from restoration to deepened research and to sharing the newfound knowledge. “We aim to empower policymakers and the growing number of restoration practitioners with better knowledge, so that more rainforests can be restored more efficiently,” said Ulrik Ilstedt, program leader at SLU. IKEA will fund the research program for 10 years. It comprises 24 projects jointly led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Malaysian universities and is one of SLU’s largest ongoing research initiatives. As a real-world research platform, the Lab will generate knowledge on how degraded tropical rainforests recover over time and which methods deliver the strongest long-term results. By combining long-term field data, restored landscapes, and scientific expertise, it provides insights into biodiversity recovery, ecosystem functions, and climate benefits, including carbon storage, water regulation, and soil health. “A substantial part of the program is dedicated to spreading the knowledge of best practices. The 24 research projects in this program will therefore make a significant contribution to our global targets to conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change on a substantially larger scale than the initial project,” said Ulrik Ilstedt.

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The forestry sector in Fiji will receive FJ$25.7 million in the 2026–2027 National Budget to support growth, create opportunities, and increase benefits for resource owners. Source: FBC Fiji This includes FJ$2.5 million for the Commercial Maritime Pine Subsidy Program, which will, in turn, help pine growers in Kadavu, Lomaiviti, and Lau with transport costs to markets and improve their income. Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel announced that at least FJ$3.7 million has been allocated to the Fiji Pine Trust Extension Program to support harvesting, replanting, nursery work, and maritime activities. He adds that a total of FJ$2 million has been allocated to build the Wainiyabia Jetty in Lakeba, a further FJ$1.5 million allocated to the Maritime Pine Development Program to support pine activities in Kadavu, Moce, Moala, Levuka, and Lakeba to cater for harvesting, timber processing, facilities, and training. Immanuel says the REDD+ Program will commence in this financial year, with FJ$500,000 allocated to promote sustainable forest management, reduce deforestation, and help Fiji access international climate funding. He further announced that Fiji Mahogany Development has been allocated FJ$196,000 to support the growth and sustainable management of the mahogany industry. To encourage investment, he says the government will introduce a five-year tax holiday for businesses investing at least FJ$5 million in new mahogany processing facilities. Immanuel adds that the incentive aims to boost local processing, create jobs and increase the value of Fiji’s forestry products and add value to Fiji’s forestry products.

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