Supporting cocoa companies to implement the EU regulation on deforestation-free products

Recently, several countries such as the UK, Germany and the US have developed or are developing resolutions for mandatory Due Diligence in forest commodity supply chains. Similarly, the EU regulation on deforestation-free products is to prevent products associated with deforestation and forest degradation from being placed on the EU market.  

These developments are in line with companies’ voluntary “No Deforestation” commitments and present an opportunity to take the next step in raising the regulatory floor. However, Proforest observed that: 

• There are still many challenges associated with the implementation of such regulations, and that there is a need for sector specific guidance. 

• Many tools and approaches already exist to support the sustainable production of cocoa. It is crucial to use a smart mix of existing tools and not to duplicate efforts.  

 
With the support of TFA and GIZ Proforest  delivered a number of collaborative workshops with key actors in the cocoa supply chain to discuss how the EU regulation on deforestation-free products can be implemented, and the implications for different stakeholders. Many challenges and opportunities for implementation were raised during the consultation process.  Based on these discussions, Proforest has developed two guidance documents to help the implementation of the EU regulation on deforestation-free products for the cocoa sector: 

• The operational guidance for cocoa producers and importers summarises what cocoa supply chain companies will need to do to implement the EU regulation on deforestation-free products. It also illustrates how a smart mix of existing tools and approaches can be used by them for implementing the regulation. 

• The reference document for cocoa producers and importers explores in a more detailed and extensive way best practices and tools that can be used for implementing supply chain Deforestation Due Diligence. It also identifies potential unintended negative consequences of Deforestation Due Diligence regulations in the context of cocoa production and discusses best practices to avoid them. 

The two guidance documents have been produced as part of Proforest's Production Landscape Programmes. It is part of a programme funded by the German Government's International Climate Initiative (IKI).