Kenya – Ali Azakary | Qahwa World
On May 4, the European Commission published its “simplification” package for the Deforestation Regulation. Some saw it as genuine relief. Others called it cosmetic.
Qahwa World continues its interview series with industry experts. After Dr. Steffen Schwarz from Germany, Kim Thompson from Dubai, and Burke Campbell from Honduras, our fourth guest is John Seroney.
John is a Kenyan coffee entrepreneur, global trade advocate, and sustainability leader. As Founder and CEO of Sumseron Coffee, he has built a purpose-driven specialty coffee enterprise connecting smallholder farmers and cooperatives in Kenya directly to international markets while championing sustainable and inclusive coffee trade. Under his leadership, Sumseron Coffee has expanded across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. John is internationally recognized for his voice on global coffee policy, sustainability, and traceability, and has worked closely with farmers, cooperatives, women, and youth in agriculture to create sustainable economic empowerment at origin. His vision is to build globally respected African coffee brands that empower farmers, transform communities, and create sustainable impact from farm to cup.
Here is what he said.
- What is your overall take on the EU simplification decision? Does it truly reduce the burden, or is it mostly cosmetic?
John Seroney: Overall, the EU simplification package is a positive step, but I would say it only partially reduces the burden. The administrative clarification helps, especially for operators already investing in traceability systems, but the core compliance requirements remain very demanding for producing countries.
The real challenge is not paperwork alone. It is the cost of farm mapping, farmer registration, digital traceability, satellite verification, and continuous monitoring across fragmented smallholder systems. For many African coffee origins, implementation is still expensive and technically challenging.
- Who benefits the most from this simplification in your opinion?
John Seroney: In my opinion, the biggest beneficiaries are larger companies and well-organized supply chains that already have compliance infrastructure in place. Multinational traders and larger exporters can adapt faster because they have resources, technology partners, and direct compliance teams.
Small producers may benefit indirectly in the long term if they are integrated into organized value chains, but many still face financial and technical barriers. Low-risk countries also gain some operational advantage, although maintaining geolocation requirements means compliance pressure still exists.
- Soluble coffee is now fully covered, after being excluded before. How do you see this affecting coffee traders and roasters worldwide?
John Seroney: The inclusion of soluble coffee is very significant. It closes an important loophole and means that all parts of the coffee industry will now be expected to demonstrate traceability and deforestation-free sourcing.
This will increase pressure on traders, roasters, and soluble manufacturers to strengthen supply chain transparency. It could also reshape sourcing behavior, with buyers prioritizing origins and exporters that can provide verified traceability data consistently.
- Is the global coffee supply chain truly ready for the December 30, 2026 deadline? If not, which part of the industry will take the biggest hit?
John Seroney: Honestly, I do not believe the global coffee supply chain is fully ready yet, especially among smallholder-driven origins in Africa and parts of Asia.
While some exporters and cooperatives have made strong progress, many farmers still lack proper digital records, polygon mapping, or awareness of EUDR requirements. The biggest impact will likely fall on smallholder farmers, small exporters, and smaller cooperatives that may struggle with compliance costs and technical capacity.
Without financial support, training, and practical implementation partnerships from buyers and governments, there is a real risk that smaller producers could be excluded from the European market despite producing high-quality coffee sustainably for generations.
At the same time, EUDR can become an opportunity if implemented collaboratively. It has the potential to strengthen transparency, improve farm-level data systems, and reward sustainable coffee production, but only if origin countries are treated as true partners in the transition process.
Qahwa World – Episode Five tomorrow with Michael Trung from Vietnam.
Read the related stories:
Kim Thompson: Sustainability Rules Must Not Punish the Producers Who Need Market Access Most
Dr. Steffen Schwarz: EUDR Simplification Remains an Administrative Monster
EUDR Simplification: Six Voices from the Coffee Industry Speak
European Commission Simplifies Deforestation Regulation.. What’s New?
