The Swedish furniture giant IKEA has announced that it plans to remove all dairy products from the menus of its cafes by the year 2030 as part of the company’s efforts to achieve its sustainability goals, which also include becoming climate positive by the same year.
Avoiding dairy products to be more “people and planet positive”
The new sustainability plan for the company is titled “People and Planet Positive,” and it aims to reduce carbon emissions and resource consumption across all of IKEA’s operations. This includes a concentration on serving more food that is plant-based in the chain’s restaurants.
IKEA made an announcement regarding a new concept for a sustainable food hall towards the end of the previous year. The new concept will provide customers with a variety of sustainable and healthy food options, such as salads, smoothies, and plant-based dishes, using ingredients that are sourced locally and organically whenever it is possible.
The food hall will also place an emphasis on minimizing the loss of edible food. The company has already put into action several tactics to cut down on the amount of food that is wasted across all its cafes and restaurants. These strategies include making use of “imperfect” produce and donating extra food to charitable organizations in the community. In 2021, they published a cookbook based on food waste.
IKEA is committed to providing sustainably sourced foods.
IKEA presently offers plant-based versions of its Swedish meatballs, hot dogs, and other cafe favourites including ice cream. The food hall and dairy-free promises expand on IKEA’s sustainable food catalogue.
The United Nations estimates that the production of animals for food is responsible for around 15 percent of the world’s total emissions of greenhouse gases. A poll by Global Data found that 23 percent of consumers around the world are cutting back on their use of animal products. When asked why 70 percent of respondents cited the numerous benefits to their health as well as the environment.
