Coffee farms in Kiambu County have been mapped for evaluation by the European Forest Institute (EFI) for compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The EU Deforestation Regulation dictates that certain commodities, including coffee to cattle, cocoa, palm oil, rubber, and soya, originating from recently deforested areas, must not be placed on or exported to the EU market after December 30, 2024.
The law was passed by the European Union Parliament on May 3, 2023.
The EU Deforestation Regulation aims to ensure that a set of key goods placed on the EU market will no longer contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in the EU and elsewhere in the world.
Coffee farms will therefore be required to screen their global suppliers via the setup of annual due diligence frameworks; these would therefore need to be provided to the member states where the products are sold, guaranteeing that they have not caused deforestation.
The County Chief Officer of Agriculture, Benson Njoroge, said Kiambu County is a top producer of coffee in the country; hence, its compliance with the EUDR has a significant impact on Kenyans because seven of Kenya’s 10 leading coffee markets are in the EU.
“The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation is a new reality for us, requiring coffee producers to prove that their products have not contributed to deforestation,” he said.
“The meeting we had today gave us a clear understanding of what is required, from geolocation practices on coffee plantations to aligning with regulatory requirements. This is a crucial step toward ensuring that our coffee remains competitive in the European market,” said Njoroge.
He cited that their discussion also touched on key aspects of the EUDR, including the use of modern tools for geolocation, data collection, and risk assessment.
“Complying with these regulations is not just about following the rules but about adopting best practices that will help preserve our natural resources for generations to come,” he said.
The law also dictates that those found breaching the rules could see their products suspended from the EU market, with operators and traders facing potential fines of up to four per cent of their annual turnover in the EU and the confiscation of products and revenues.
These happen at a time when the Kenyan government is currently working on reforming the coffee sector across its 37 coffee-growing areas.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020.
By Grace Naishoo
