The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) mandates companies to prove that products such as coffee, cocoa, wood, rubber, palm oil, soy, and beef do not originate from land deforested after December 31, 2020. For coffee, this specifically means that every batch must be traceable to a specific piece of land, with geolocation data. The law applies from December 30, 2026, for large and medium-sized companies, and from June 30, 2027, for small and micro-enterprises. The effective date has been postponed several times, so it is wise to anticipate further adjustments. This is in addition to, not a replacement for, voluntary certifications like Rainforest Alliance.
What exactly is the EU Deforestation Regulation?
The EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) is a European law designed to prevent products sold in the EU from contributing to deforestation elsewhere in the world. The law targets seven commodities: wood, rubber, soy, palm oil, cocoa, beef, and coffee. For each of these commodities, it must be demonstrable that their production has not led to forest loss after December 31, 2020.
For coffee, this means that companies must be able to prove where each batch comes from, down to the geolocation data of the plots where the coffee was grown. This represents a significantly higher degree of traceability than most certifications currently require.
When will the law come into effect?
The effective date of the EUDR has been postponed several times since its announcement, partly because the digital system through which companies must submit their documentation was not yet fully operational. According to the most recent information from the NVWA, the current dates are:
- December 30, 2026: effective date for large and medium-sized companies
- June 30, 2027: effective date for small and micro-enterprises
Since these dates have shifted multiple times in the past, we recommend checking the current status on the NVWA website, the authority responsible for overseeing the EUDR in the Netherlands, if in doubt.
How control works in practice
According to the European Commission, the obligation involves more than just providing geolocation data. Companies falling under the EUDR must follow a three-step due diligence process: gathering information (including the exact geolocation of the plots where the coffee was grown), conducting a risk assessment based on that information, and taking measures to mitigate risks where necessary. Only then can a due diligence statement be submitted in the Information System, part of the European Commission's TRACES platform.
Competent authorities will check this data, among other methods, using satellite imagery: the forest cover of a plot on December 31, 2020, will be compared with the current situation. Without a valid statement in this system, a product may not be placed on the EU market; this applies to each batch individually, not once for an entire supplier.
An important distinction lies in who is responsible for what. The party that first places a commodity on the EU market, usually the importer or a large roastery, bears the heaviest obligation: they must collect the geolocation data and submit the statement. Downstream parties, who purchase already controlled coffee, do not need to submit a due diligence statement themselves, according to the Commission, as long as they can refer to the statement of the original operator.
Why this is particularly challenging for coffee
The exact proportion of global coffee production that comes from smallholders varies by source and reporting year from the International Coffee Organization, the intergovernmental coffee organization whose members collectively represent the vast majority of global coffee production: estimates in various ICO reports range from 60 to 80% of global production, coming from tens of millions of smallholder farmers. Whatever the exact ratio, the core remains the same: a significant portion of the coffee sold in Europe comes from small-scale agriculture, often on plots of a few hectares.
In many origin countries, there is no formal cadastral registration of these plots, farmers lack access to GPS equipment or reliable internet, and coffee from dozens of different small farms is aggregated at local processing stations before being exported. This makes providing plot-specific geolocation data, precisely what the EUDR requires, a greater practical challenge than for larger-scale agricultural products such as soy. Roasters and importers dealing with this therefore map their entire supply chain, down to the cooperative or farm level, and actively collect geolocation data from their suppliers, often in collaboration with the certification organizations they already work with.
The EUDR comes on top of a coffee market already under price pressure due to fluctuating harvests and rising import costs, something we have written about before. The additional administrative obligations imposed by the law, such as geolocation registration and due diligence statements, incur costs that will be absorbed somewhere in the supply chain.
Specifically, this could mean several things for coffee drinkers:
- Origins that are already well-documented are likely to experience fewer consequences than batches whose traceability still needs to be established.
- Smaller producers and cooperatives, who often have less capacity to meet the new documentation requirements, risk higher costs or temporary exclusion from the EU market.
- In the longer term, the law could actually contribute to greater transparency in the supply chain, aligning with what conscious coffee brands have been striving for with certifications and direct sourcing relationships.
The difference between the EUDR and voluntary certifications
This is an important distinction. Certifications like Rainforest Alliance are a voluntary choice made by a brand or producer, focusing on a broader set of criteria: fair labor conditions, responsible land use, and more. The EUDR is legislation, mandatory for all companies within its scope, and specifically focused on one thing: demonstrable absence of deforestation.
Thus, an RFA certification does not automatically replace EUDR obligations, although a well-documented certification process can help in providing the necessary data. More about how we at Bunafide utilize certifications can be found on our page on certifications.
How does Bunafide view this?
We are closely monitoring developments around the EUDR, together with the Dutch roasteries we work with. Our coffee is sourced through roasteries that in turn collaborate with RFA-certified suppliers, which already provides a basis for traceability. As soon as the law actually comes into effect and the consequences for our supply chain become concrete, we will share that here.
Curious how transparency works for us in practice, separate from this specific legislation? Read what transparency means for Bunafide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EUDR?
The EU Deforestation Regulation is a European law requiring companies to prove that products such as coffee, cocoa, and wood do not contribute to deforestation after December 31, 2020.
When does the EUDR come into effect for coffee?
Based on the most recent information, December 30, 2026, applies to large and medium-sized companies, and June 30, 2027, to small and micro-enterprises. This date has been postponed several times in the past.
Will coffee become more expensive due to the EUDR?
Possibly, as companies incur costs to comply with the new documentation requirements. How much this impacts the sales price varies by company and origin.
Is a certification like Rainforest Alliance the same as EUDR compliance?
No. A certification is a voluntary, broader certification. The EUDR is mandatory legislation specifically focused on deforestation. One does not automatically replace the other.
What is TRACES and what does it have to do with consumers?
TRACES is the European Commission's digital system where companies submit their due diligence statements and geolocation data. As a consumer, you won't directly notice this; it's a background process between companies and the EU, but it determines whether a batch of coffee can enter the EU market.
Why is the EUDR particularly challenging for coffee?
Because a large part of global coffee production (depending on the source and year, between 60 and 80%, according to reports from the International Coffee Organization) comes from smallholder farmers, often without formal land registration or GPS access. Providing plot-specific geolocation data is a greater practical challenge for these farmers and the cooperatives they work with than for larger-scale agriculture.
Does the EUDR also apply to small coffee roasters?
Yes, although small and micro-enterprises have a later effective date (June 30, 2027) than large and medium-sized companies.
In summary
The EU Deforestation Regulation obliges companies to prove that coffee does not contribute to deforestation, with an effective date of December 30, 2026, for large and medium-sized companies, and June 30, 2027, for small enterprises, although this date has been postponed several times in the past. The law is separate from voluntary certifications such as Rainforest Alliance and may eventually affect both the price and availability of coffee. Want to know more about how we at Bunafide handle certifications and transparency? View our page on certifications or read what transparency means for Bunafide.
Sources
The following official sources were consulted for this article:
