Dubai – Qahwa World
Fresh delays to the European Union’s deforestation rules have sparked mixed reactions across the global coffee sector. The updated timeline pushes the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to the end of December 2026, following a second vote in the European Parliament earlier this year, where 402 members supported the extension and 250 opposed it.
The measure was originally set to take effect at the end of 2024, then shifted to 2025, and is now delayed once more. The regulation is expected to reshape the way EU-based companies source agricultural products — including coffee — by requiring full documentation of their origins and proof that production is not linked to deforestation.
- Industry Split on the Delay
Major industry figures remain divided. Some companies had previously urged the EU to slow the rollout, arguing that the sector lacked the technical systems needed for compliance. Others, including large multinational brands, had pressed the EU not to postpone again, warning that additional delays risk weakening global efforts against forest loss.
Although the regulation focuses on European businesses, its effects will extend across the entire coffee supply chain, influencing farmers, cooperatives, exporters, and traders in producing countries.
- Tracing Coffee Origins: A Race Against Time
The United Kingdom–based speciality roaster Pact Coffee has been one of the sector’s early adopters of detailed traceability. According to Will Corby, the company’s Director of Coffee and Social Impact, many businesses have made progress over the past year, yet readiness still varies widely.
He notes that the earlier delay occurred because infrastructure across agricultural supply chains — not just coffee — was far from complete. This year, he says, funding and preparation have improved, but pockets of the industry remain far behind.
- Challenges for Smallholder Producers
Producers in origin countries face their own hurdles. A significant portion of smallholder farmers still lack the tools, connectivity, or financial means to carry out geomapping — a core requirement for EUDR compliance.
In Kenya, authorities launched a nationwide effort in July 2025 to map all coffee farmland. At that time, the Agriculture and Food Authority reported that only 30% of the country’s coffee-growing area — 32,688 hectares across 16 out of 33 counties — had been mapped.
Corby cautions that farmers who cannot geomap independently may become dependent on exporters who map land on their behalf. This could tie farmers to a single buyer, limiting their ability to negotiate better prices.
He stresses that farmers don’t need deep technical knowledge, but they do need access to a fair system where mapping data is transferable. That would allow them to sell to whichever exporter or roaster offers the best terms.
- Why the Delay Matters
With the new extension, supply-chain actors gain another year to build tools, test systems, and reduce the risk of non-compliance. Corby notes that errors under the regulation could carry severe penalties, making preparation essential.
The extra time, he says, could ultimately support more ethical and responsible sourcing, provided the industry uses the period to strengthen relationships and transparency with growers.
- Possible Early Impact Despite the Postponement
Although enforcement has been deferred, many European coffee companies were already close to meeting the original 2025 deadline. According to Corby, this means parts of the industry may still begin operating as if the rules were already active, leading to real changes on the ground in 2026.
Large roasters and exporters are investing significant resources into identifying and documenting the farms from which they source. This could accelerate traceability for tens of thousands of growers, even before EUDR officially takes effect.
Pact Coffee, which has worked exclusively with fully traceable coffees for 13 years, argues that transparency is the most effective way to ensure farmers receive fair compensation and long-term support.
