Building a "green passport" for Gia Lai agricultural and forestry products

(GLO)- As the European Union (EU) prepares to implement the EU Deforestation Reduction Regulation (EUDR), agricultural and forestry businesses in Gia Lai are forced to step into the global "playground" with a "green passport".

Recently, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a plan to implement solutions to adapt to EUDR, aiming to meet green standards and maintain export markets.

EUDR regulates 7 groups of goods, of which Gia Lai has 3 groups directly affected: coffee, wood, rubber. The deadline for large enterprises to comply with EUDR is December 30, 2025; for medium, small and micro enterprises, it is June 30, 2026.

Responding to EUDR to maintain export markets

Exports of coffee, rubber, wood and wood products account for about 55% of the province's total export turnover, of which the EU market plays an important role. According to EUDR, agricultural products produced on areas originating from deforestation or forest degradation after December 31, 2020 will be banned from being imported into the EU. Therefore, businesses are required to trace their origins transparently, ensuring legal and environmentally friendly raw materials.

Coffee is one of three commodities in Gia Lai province directly affected by the EUDR. Photo: Vu Thao

The province currently has about 107,400 hectares of coffee, with an output of about 333,250 tons/year. Of which, 56,691 hectares have achieved Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and 4C certifications. Vinh Hiep Company Limited (An Phu Ward) is the main exporter, bringing about 160,000 tons of coffee to the market each year, exporting to 60 countries, of which the EU accounts for 60%. The company has implemented many international cooperation projects on promoting sustainable agriculture , reducing greenhouse gas emissions and complying with EUDR, protecting forest ecosystems, linking sustainable coffee production with farmers, developing sustainable livelihoods for farmers, etc.

Mr. Thai Nhu Hiep, Chairman of the Board of Members and Director of Vinh Hiep Company Limited, emphasized: To enter the EU market, Vinh Hiep has built a sustainable coffee production network according to international market standards, especially EUDR compliance. With the increasingly strict constraints and requirements of the import market, products are not only sold by quality but also by responsibility to the environment and society. With transparent traceability, Gia Lai coffee will enter the high-end market segment in the EU, US, Japan... with much higher value.

In addition to coffee, Gia Lai has 85,800 hectares of rubber and tens of thousands of hectares of planted forests for wood processing, all of which are in the group of products directly affected by EUDR.

Chu Se - Kampong Thom Rubber Joint Stock Company (Chu Se commune) is the first enterprise in the world to receive PEFC EUDR DDS certification (EUDR In-depth Due Diligence System certification). Mr. Bui Duong Khanh, representative of the Company, said: "On September 15, 2025, we were honored to receive PEFC EUDR DDS certification after applying a comprehensive appraisal system for more than 16,268 hectares of rubber, including digitizing the global positioning system for the entire plantation area, building a process to minimize deforestation risks and passing a rigorous independent assessment. This is not only a testament to compliance but also a commitment to sustainable development, linking three pillars: environment - society - governance".

According to Mr. Khanh, not only direct exporting enterprises but also rubber product purchasing partners must meet input material standards. Therefore, PEFC EUDR DDS certification has become a mandatory “passport” in the context of global integration.

Towards global market standards

Mr. Le Duc Vuong, representative of Nestlé Vietnam in Gia Lai, said: Currently, most large-scale coffee exporting enterprises have proactively completed the EUDR regulations. Implementing the EUDR means reviewing the entire supply chain, from raw material purchasing, processing to export. Enterprises must build a traceability system, sign commitments with suppliers and coordinate closely with EU market import partners to promptly update new requirements.

The processing factory of Chu Se - Kampong Thom Rubber Joint Stock Company has a capacity of 32,400 tons/year. Photo: DVCC

However, small businesses and farmers will face difficulties due to the lack of a strict traceability system and limited resources. Mr. Vuong analyzed: EUDR-certified coffee sold to the EU market will have a higher price than regular coffee. This is a lever to encourage businesses to enhance brand value and competitive advantage.

From another perspective, Mr. Bui Duc Hao, a member of the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), said: Just a few months after the EU issued the EUDR, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued an action program, built a database of growing areas and proposed response solutions. Localities in the country also joined in, in which, Gia Lai is the first province to have an ODA working group. This will create more favorable conditions for upcoming activities.

EUDR will set new standards for environmental responsibility in the agricultural and forestry supply chain. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for Gia Lai to restructure its industries towards a more sustainable direction, thereby maintaining its export market.

On September 15, 2025, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Duong Mah Tiep signed a decision to promulgate a Plan to implement EUDR adaptation solutions in the province. The plan sets out many key solutions such as: building a cooperation framework in implementing EUDR; propagating and disseminating EUDR regulations to management agencies at all levels, organizations, businesses, communities and people.

In addition, build a provincial and commune-level database on growing areas for affected products; continue to build and implement traceability activities along the supply chain to the area linked to the location of points and digital boundaries (Polygon) of each garden for industries affected by EUDR. Develop a sustainable livelihood conversion model in risky areas; support farmers to convert to environmentally friendly production methods.

At the same time, build a dialogue and negotiation mechanism with the EU and member states on the implementation of the EUDR; mobilize financial and technical support resources from international organizations such as the EU, IDH, the German Development Cooperation Organization, etc. to implement programs and projects that approach the direction of improving forest landscapes, sustainable farming, resource protection and social security, thereby contributing to reducing deforestation and forest degradation.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/xay-dung-ho-chieu-xanh-cho-nong-lam-san-gia-lai-post567279.html