JDE Peet’s, a major coffee company, raised concerns over the stringent timeline set by the new EU law banning the import of commodities and related goods linked to deforestation worldwide, Reuters reported.
The law, which will come into effect by the end of 2024, mandates that EU importers of coffee, cocoa, cattle, palm, and other commodities prove that their goods are not contributing to forest destruction or face hefty fines.
Producing countries from Indonesia to Brazil have criticized the law, saying it is discriminatory and that the new rules could exclude vulnerable, small-scale farmers from accessing the EU’s lucrative market.
While the EU has simplified this aspect of the law in some respects, the industry will still need help to comply by end-2024, said JDE Peet’s.
With harvest already underway in some countries, the compliance deadline has effectively passed for some regions, complicating the efforts to ensure compliance of imported goods with the new regulation, Reuters said citing Laurent Sagarra, Vice President of JDE Peet’s.
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The European Commission told Reuters its “doors are open to discussions with the industry, and not only do we reply to any implementation questions they may have, but also publish extensive guidance based on the exchanges so far”.
The company has signed agreements with several coffee-producing countries to map and monitor their growing regions using satellite imagery. However, it will still need to sign additional agreements with 20 more countries before the end of this year to ensure a diverse sourcing base and compliance with the law.
A majority of EU member states have also asked the bloc to scale back the law and possibly suspend it temporarily due to concerns even EU farmers will struggle to tick all the boxes required to prove their goods are deforestation-free.
