The new European Union law that prohibits the import of products linked to deforestation poses a challenge for coffee growers. Starting in 2024, importers of commodities such as coffee, cocoa, livestock, and palm must prove that their products are not contributing to deforestation or face heavy fines. This has raised concerns among producer countries that small farmers may be excluded from accessing the EU market due to the difficulty of meeting the requirements in remote regions.
JDE Peet’s, a major coffee company, is aware of the tight deadline for compliance with the new EU law. Despite efforts to simplify some aspects of the law, they are still struggling to meet the requirements by the deadline. They have been working on mapping and monitoring coffee regions in several countries using satellite imagery and on-the-ground verification, but still need agreements with more countries to ensure continued imports.
Many EU member countries have called for the law to be scaled back or temporarily suspended due to fears that even farmers within the EU may have difficulty meeting all necessary requirements. The European Commission has indicated openness to discussions with industry stakeholders to address concerns about the application of the law. In response, companies like JDE Peet’s are working against time to ensure compliance and continuation of their operations.