Ikea, the Tree Hunter

A consumer favorite, Ikea has been equipping kitchens, living rooms and children's bedrooms around the world for generations. Since its creation in 1943 by the visionary but controversial Ingvar Kamprad, and through a series of innovations - kit furniture, mail-order sales, self-service stores - the small company has experienced dazzling growth, and accompanied Sweden's entry into the era of mass consumption. But the Ikea model comes at a cost. To pursue its exponential growth and sell ever more low-cost furniture, the Swedish giant devours 20 million cubic meters of wood every year, equivalent to 1% of the world's reserves of this material.