Artek Secures Material Availability for Its Iconic Furniture with Its Own Forest

Artek’s iconic furniture can only be made from birch grown in northern latitudes. To safeguard the availability of this raw material while respecting nature and biodiversity, Artek has acquired forest land in Finland to ensure responsible production and continued access to high-quality birch. In doing so, the company assumes responsibility for the entire lifecycle of its products — beginning at the source, when the material is still growing in the ground.

Having celebrated its 90th anniversary last year, Artek is firmly focused on the future. The majority of its furniture is crafted from exceptionally light and durable birch, sourced from northern forests where short growing seasons produce the desired material qualities. As climate change is affecting forest growth and timber quality worldwide, Artek has taken proactive steps to secure both material availability and sustainable forestry practices by purchasing mixed forest land in Heinävesi, Eastern Finland. The forest will be managed using continuous cover forestry methods.

“Now, 90 years after Artek was founded, we know that our furniture stands the test of time and can be passed on from one generation to the next. By taking responsibility for the source of our raw material — the forest — Artek’s long-term plans are aligned with the lifecycle of the trees,” says Marianne Goebl, Global CEO of Artek.

Artek and the Finnish Forest

Finnish forests are an essential part of Artek’s story. All Aalto furniture continues to be manufactured in Finland, using timber sourced from 50–80-year-old domestic birch trees.

Sustainable design requires sustainable forests — and Finland’s forest landscape is undergoing change. The high-quality birch used in Artek’s production grows only in healthy mixed forests, which are becoming increasingly rare due to conventional forestry practices in Finland, primarily clear-cutting.

Artek manages its own forests using Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF), an environmentally responsible harvesting method based on selective logging. By retaining standing trees as well as deadwood, biodiversity can be preserved more effectively than under even-aged forest management systems. The small, varied canopy openings created through selective harvesting provide ideal conditions for the natural regeneration of birch alongside shade-tolerant species. Currently, less than 2% of Finland’s timber is harvested using CCF methods. Artek aims to demonstrate that this approach is both technically and economically viable, and hopes to encourage other Finnish forest owners to adopt similar practices.

The transition toward partially sourcing timber from its own forests forms part of Artek’s broader research and sustainability strategy initiated in 2020 in collaboration with FormaFantasma. The research revealed that Artek’s environmental footprint is significantly influenced by the way birch is cultivated, and the company has committed to continuous action to improve its impact.

According to Artek’s Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), several of its birch products are already carbon neutral or close to carbon neutral. Stool 60/E60, Chair 69, Work Chair K65 and Bar Stool 64 have been assessed as carbon negative. This means that over their lifecycle, these products store more carbon removed from the atmosphere than is generated during their production.

Photo: Artek