Introducing the first cohort of Everyone's Business programme!
Meet the 11 social enterprises contributing to a more inclusive, sustainable, and hopeful Sweden.
Twelve social enterprises from around the world are joining the sixth edition of Dela, a global systems change accelerator programme co-created together with Ashoka.
For twelve months, the cohort will work alongside IKEA co-workers and experts to strengthen their strategies to scale impact and accelerate systems change. Together, they’re tackling a challenge that affects every person on the planet: the future of our food systems.
Food systems cover everything from growing and processing food to how it’s distributed, eaten, and disposed of. They also involve the people, communities, and environments that get food from the farm to our tables and beyond. But today, our food systems are under pressure. Climate change, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, food waste, and unequal access to markets all threaten jobs and long-term food security.
Meanwhile, the people who grow, harvest, process, and deliver our food often benefit the least while facing the biggest risks. To make food systems both sustainable and fair, we need to protect natural resources and support the people who keep these systems running.
The twelve social enterprises selected for Dela VI work in different areas of the food system, but they all share the same goal: creating a future where food production supports both people and planet.
“Across the world, social entrepreneurs are contributing to transforming different parts of the food system while creating opportunities for people from vulnerable groups, says Åsa Skogström Feldt, Managing Director of IKEA Social Entrepreneurship B.V. “We’re excited to welcome the new Dela cohort and to learn from their experiences and support them as they continue to scale their impact.”
Some of these enterprises focus on restoring the natural resources that food systems rely on. In India, Farmers for Forests and the Foundation for Ecological Security partner with local communities to care for land, forests, and water. In Türkiye, Anatolian Grasslands supports farmers to adopt regenerative grazing practices, while Živá půda (Soil for Life) supports better soil health in the Czech Republic. In North America, the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance and GreenWave promote regenerative practices on both land and sea.
Others are working to make food value chains more inclusive and resilient. Advancement for Rural Kids (ARK Solves) supports rural families in the Philippines to improve food security and earn more through community farming. Direct Impact Partners supports small farmers in Côte d'Ivoire with storage solutions that cut down on post-harvest losses. Sinapsis supports coffee-farming families in Mexico by helping them access funding, training, and markets.
The group also includes organisations focused on cutting food waste, improving nutrition, and connecting food with culture and community. Foodbank of Indonesia redistributes surplus food to vulnerable communities. La Tablée des Chefs in Canada combines food recovery with cooking education. In Brazil, Instituto Maniva supports family farmers and local food economies while promoting traditional food knowledge.
In Swedish, "Dela" means "to share.” The programme is based on the belief that meaningful systems change happens when people from different backgrounds collaborate and learn from one another. IKEA co-workers, many of them from IKEA Food organisations will work alongside the participating social enterprises as thought partners and mentors. By connecting social entrepreneurs and IKEA co-workers, Dela creates opportunities to share knowledge, challenge assumptions, and explore new approaches to complex global challenges.
"At IKEA, we're constantly exploring how to make healthy food accessible for the many by low prices with sustainable production,” says Petra Axdorff, Global Food Manager at IKEA. “The social entrepreneurs in this cohort bring perspectives and solutions that are deeply rooted in local realities, often shaped over many years of working directly with farmers, producers, and communities. Their experience reminds us that some of the most promising ideas for the future of food are already emerging on the ground today."
Together, this year's cohort demonstrates that building more sustainable and just food systems requires action at every stage of the value chain, from restoring soil and ecosystems to supporting jobs, reducing waste, and making sure communities benefit from the food systems they support.
Learn more about the participating social enterprises.
For twelve months, the cohort will work alongside IKEA co-workers and experts to strengthen their strategies to scale impact and accelerate systems change. Together, they’re tackling a challenge that affects every person on the planet: the future of our food systems.
Food systems cover everything from growing and processing food to how it’s distributed, eaten, and disposed of. They also involve the people, communities, and environments that get food from the farm to our tables and beyond. But today, our food systems are under pressure. Climate change, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, food waste, and unequal access to markets all threaten jobs and long-term food security.
Meanwhile, the people who grow, harvest, process, and deliver our food often benefit the least while facing the biggest risks. To make food systems both sustainable and fair, we need to protect natural resources and support the people who keep these systems running.
The twelve social enterprises selected for Dela VI work in different areas of the food system, but they all share the same goal: creating a future where food production supports both people and planet.
“Across the world, social entrepreneurs are contributing to transforming different parts of the food system while creating opportunities for people from vulnerable groups, says Åsa Skogström Feldt, Managing Director of IKEA Social Entrepreneurship B.V. “We’re excited to welcome the new Dela cohort and to learn from their experiences and support them as they continue to scale their impact.”
Some of these enterprises focus on restoring the natural resources that food systems rely on. In India, Farmers for Forests and the Foundation for Ecological Security partner with local communities to care for land, forests, and water. In Türkiye, Anatolian Grasslands supports farmers to adopt regenerative grazing practices, while Živá půda (Soil for Life) supports better soil health in the Czech Republic. In North America, the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance and GreenWave promote regenerative practices on both land and sea.
Others are working to make food value chains more inclusive and resilient. Advancement for Rural Kids (ARK Solves) supports rural families in the Philippines to improve food security and earn more through community farming. Direct Impact Partners supports small farmers in Côte d'Ivoire with storage solutions that cut down on post-harvest losses. Sinapsis supports coffee-farming families in Mexico by helping them access funding, training, and markets.
The group also includes organisations focused on cutting food waste, improving nutrition, and connecting food with culture and community. Foodbank of Indonesia redistributes surplus food to vulnerable communities. La Tablée des Chefs in Canada combines food recovery with cooking education. In Brazil, Instituto Maniva supports family farmers and local food economies while promoting traditional food knowledge.
In Swedish, "Dela" means "to share.” The programme is based on the belief that meaningful systems change happens when people from different backgrounds collaborate and learn from one another. IKEA co-workers, many of them from IKEA Food organisations will work alongside the participating social enterprises as thought partners and mentors. By connecting social entrepreneurs and IKEA co-workers, Dela creates opportunities to share knowledge, challenge assumptions, and explore new approaches to complex global challenges.
"At IKEA, we're constantly exploring how to make healthy food accessible for the many by low prices with sustainable production,” says Petra Axdorff, Global Food Manager at IKEA. “The social entrepreneurs in this cohort bring perspectives and solutions that are deeply rooted in local realities, often shaped over many years of working directly with farmers, producers, and communities. Their experience reminds us that some of the most promising ideas for the future of food are already emerging on the ground today."
Together, this year's cohort demonstrates that building more sustainable and just food systems requires action at every stage of the value chain, from restoring soil and ecosystems to supporting jobs, reducing waste, and making sure communities benefit from the food systems they support.
Learn more about the participating social enterprises.