The European Union has recently announced a regulation that prohibits the importation of certain agricultural products from countries that deforest. These products include cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybeans, timber, rubber, charcoal, livestock products, and printed paper. Although the regulation was approved by the European Parliament in April and is close to being ratified by the Council of the European Union, it has generated concern in sectors such as cocoa due to the difficulties it could cause for the union.
The cocoa sector has made significant progress in the implementation of the Zero Deforestation Agreement of the value chain, which seeks to consolidate a sustainable industry that protects the environment. However, organizations such as Asilos warn that the new regulation could affect the financial capacity of small producers and family farmers.
Wendy Arenas, director of Asilos, explains that although the regulation is an important step for the protection of forests, it is necessary to consider its impact on small producers and on the consolidation of peace in Colombia. There is concern that this regulation will become a “market barrier” without specifying who will bear the costs of the monitoring and traceability system, which could negatively impact producers and family farmers by stifling their financial capacity.
Arenas also points out that the new regulation of the European Union could slow down the pace and scope of the consolidation of peace, since cocoa has been a key strategy in the post-conflict process in Colombia. In 2022, more than 47,000 hectares of illicit crops were replaced by cocoa crops, but now producers face additional requirements that could be difficult to meet.
Colombia signed the Cocoa, Forests and Peace Agreement in 2018 with the aim of closing the agricultural frontier and contributing to the implementation of the Peace Agreement. The agreement has the support of more than 25 entities, including 90% of the national industry and the ministries of Environment and Sustainable Development, and Agriculture and Rural Development. This makes Colombia the first and only country in Latin America with this type of initiative.
Faced with this situation, Arenas urges the creation of bilateral trade agreements with the European Union that allow the export of up to 35,000 tons of cocoa by the year 2030. She believes that this could be an alternative to mitigate the negative effects of regulation.
In conclusion, it is crucial to guarantee that the implementation of the regulation benefits both producer and consumer countries, and to establish a dialogue with the countries of the European Union to find solutions that protect forests without harming the financial capacity of small producers. and family farmers.