Relief for farmers as EU delays deforestation law

Indigenous trees have disappeared from forestS over time either through logging or charcoal burning. [File, Standard]

Kenya will still be able to export its coffee to European Union (EU) countries in 2025 without the looming impact of the anti-deforestation regulations. The law, which was introduced on 29 June 2023, was set to come into effect on 30 December 2024. However, the EU Council has decided to postpone its implementation by 12 months.

These regulations were designed to prevent products linked to deforestation from entering the EU market. This delay offers significant relief to coffee farmers, as the law would have required companies exporting products made from coffee, cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, and rubber to demonstrate that these products did not originate from land that had been deforested.

The regulations also required companies to prove that their production processes complied with both environmental and human rights laws in the country of origin. Furthermore, the regulations called for the establishment of data management systems in countries like Kenya to ensure traceability, due diligence, and compliance.

While many countries face challenges with uncoordinated systems to track farmers’ data, a significant number of Kenyan coffee farmers, who are likely to be affected by these regulations, have struggled to meet the requirements to continue exporting their coffee to the EU in 2025. The EU’s decision in October 2024 to delay the implementation of the anti-deforestation law provides a much-needed grace period. The regulation will now come into effect on 30 December 2025, allowing stakeholders in countries such as Kenya more time to establish the necessary systems for compliance.

“The delay will provide legal certainty and predictability, and allow for the establishment of due diligence systems. These systems will identify deforestation risks in supply chains and monitor and report compliance with EU rules,” the EU Council stated in a press release.

This extension gives countries, operators, and traders additional time to prepare for their due diligence obligations. By December 2025, it will be necessary to prove that certain commodities and products sold in or exported from the EU are deforestation-free. For Kenyan coffee farmers, this means they will need to demonstrate that the land used for cultivation was not originally forested by 2020.

Farmers will be required to provide geolocation data for their farms to enable traceability. Those who fail to comply with these regulations risk being banned from the EU market.

The move by the EU is part of a broader global effort towards environmental accountability. According to the World Resources Institute, approximately 3.21 million acres of forest have been lost annually to coffee cultivation over the past two decades.