Coffee and cocoa associations join calls for EUDR delay
International Coffee Organisation (ICO) and the European Cocoa Association (ECA) have added their voices to requests that the European Union postpone a requirement to prove products are not linked to deforestation, a rule that also affects leather.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is part of a wider commitment to making EU supply chains more environmentally responsible.
From December 2024, larger companies will have to comply with EUDR, which includes requirement to digitally map their supply chains down to the plot where their raw materials are from. Small and medium enterprises will have to follow suit from June 2025.
"We can't meet that date, it is not possible," said Vanusia Nogueira, director of the ICO, according to Reuters.
The ICO represents more than 90% of coffee production and more than 60% of consumption.
In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the ECA said implementing the law could have serious consequences for cocoa supplies. "Currently, we foresee a scenario where significant volumes of deforestation-free cocoa (without supporting documentation) will be blocked. This will have a direct impact on farmers in producing countries, and create a supply crunch within Europe," said the ECA.
