European anti-deforestation regulation promotes sustainable agriculture

That was the sharing of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan at the Conference. Production and supply of coffee without causing deforestation according to European Union (EU) regulations, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordination with the EU Delegation to Vietnam and IDH Organization on the afternoon of June 29, in Hanoi .

Quy định chống phá rừng châu Âu thúc đẩy phát triển nông nghiệp bền vững, tăng trưởngxanh - Ảnh 1. — EUDR will impact many of Vietnam's key export industries currently exporting to the EU, including coffee.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on May 16, the European Parliament approved the EUDR. According to this regulation, from December 2024, some agricultural products of Vietnam, especially coffee, when imported into the EU, will need to have GPS information for each garden, based on which the risk of deforestation will be confirmed by remote sensing monitoring systems. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that when the EUDR is implemented, not only coffee but also the export of wood and wood products and rubber from Vietnam to the EU will be directly affected.

At the conference, representatives of units and organizations shared general information about the EU's new regulatory requirements on deforestation-free products, the opportunities and challenges that may be brought to the Vietnamese coffee industry, and proposed solutions to support the industry in meeting the new regulations within the 18-24 month preparation period set by the EU.

Minister Le Minh Hoan emphasized that when the EUDR takes effect from December 2024, it will directly impact actors in the supply chain of the wood and wood products, rubber and coffee industries. These supply chains will face many challenges in meeting the EUDR, especially issues related to location data, traceability, monitoring systems, and anti-deforestation response.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development considers compliance with the EUDR not only to meet the requirements of exporting key products to the EU market, but also as an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of the development strategy of Vietnam's agricultural sector towards transparency, responsibility, sustainability and green growth," said Mr. Hoan.

In addition, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development also suggested that there should be coordination between state agencies, the private sector, and domestic and foreign organizations to prepare information to meet new EU regulations, maintain a sustainable flow of agricultural trade, and ensure farmers' livelihoods.

Ms. Tran Quynh Chi, Director of the Asian Landscape Region (IDH Organization), said that Vietnamese agriculture in general and the coffee industry in particular have had a foundation of multi-stakeholder cooperation to promote sustainable development over the years.

Ms. Chi acknowledged that the birth of EUDR will be an important boost to create a fundamental shift for the entire coffee industry towards transparency and sustainability, meeting the diverse requirements of the market and buyers such as no deforestation, low emissions and household livelihoods.

"IDH will work with central and local partners to synchronously deploy activities to comply with EU anti-deforestation regulations in Vietnam," said Ms. Chi.

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