13 June 2024. Component 2 of AL-INVEST Verde organised the workshop "Traceability requirements for cocoa under the EUDR".as part of the series "Dialogues on sustainable cocoa". The event was attended by the following participants representatives of the European Commission and producer countries in Latin America -Brazil, Ecuador and Peru- and Africa -Cameroon-..
The director of Component 2 of AL-INVEST Verde, Emilio Calvoand the Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Colombia, Alberto Menghiniinaugurated the workshop. In his presentation, Menghini underlined the importance of turning the European Union Deforestation and Forest Degradation Free Regulation (EUDR) "It is an opportunity for production qualification, an opportunity for producers who comply with and respect the environment and the social environment".
Then, on behalf of the European Commission, the following spoke Emanuele PittoThe EUDR has led to significant progress and we are assisting in its implementation," he said.
Following this intervention, Frédéric BaronThe European Forest Institute (EFI) expert on land use and deforestation-free value chains in Latin America, gave a presentation on "Traceability requirements in the framework of due diligence for the EUDR". He highlighted, among other aspects, that the challenge of traceability is to "provide in the due diligence the right list of products that correspond to the imported products".
From Cameroon, Michael NdopingThe importance of sustainable trade that values the assessment of cocoa traceability was highlighted by the National Coffee and Cocoa Agency (ONCC). Deforestation has to be seen as a big barrier," he said, "to help us move forward.
For its part, Omer MaledyThe Cameroon Interprofessional Committee for Coffee and Cocoa (CICC), underlined the commitment to sustainability of the country's cocoa industry and explained how the way it works is based on "an excellent relationship" between government and producers. "We trust each other, we collaborate with each other in a responsible way and we can solve problems as they arise," he said.
The workshop continued with the presentation of "Public initiatives to support traceability in Latin America". For this purpose, the workshop was attended by Lara Line Pereira de SouzaCoordinator of Agricultural Chain Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Brazil; Carolina HerreraDirector of Agricultural Linkages of the Subsecretariat of Agricultural Innovation Networks of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Ecuador; Daniela CerónDirector of Phytosanitary Certification of the Agency for Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control (AGROCALIDAD) of Ecuador; Óscar Gutiérrez OrtegaDirector of the Directorate of Statistics and Agrarian Information (DEIA) and National Coordinator of the PPA of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI) of Peru.
The event was closed by Ute SontagThe project was coordinated by the Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems Project of the SAFE programme of GIZ (Ecuador), and Emilio Calvo, director of Component 2 of the AL-INVEST Verde programme.
The "Sustainable Cocoa Dialogues" are an initiative developed in collaboration with the SAFE programme - implemented by the German cooperation agency GIZ - and with the technical support of the European Forest Institute (EFI). The first dialogue took place on 16 May last year, while the third dialoguewhich closes this cycle, will take place on 26 June. Registration is now open.
EUDR and traceability
The concept of traceability is mainly contained in Article 9 and Article 10 of the EUDR. The Article 9 stipulates that the operator, in his due diligence declaration, shall collect, inter alia, geolocation data of all plots of land where the raw materials were produced, while the operator shall collect, inter alia, geolocation data of all plots of land where the raw materials were produced. Article 10 indicates that the risk assessment should consider the complexity of the supply chain, as well as the risk of circumvention or mixing with products of unknown origin or produced in areas where deforestation has occurred.
The competent authorities of the Member States of the European Union may verify the geolocation coordinates by comparison with satellite images or forest cover maps. For their part, the governments can facilitate access to data from various public tools designed to record productive information, such as rural cadastres or traceability platforms, among others. However, it is important to dialogue with the private sectorThe geolocation and traceability data may be considered by them to be elements of their business and therefore confidential.
About AL-INVEST Verde
AL-INVEST Verde is a programme funded by the European Union (EU). Its main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 2, led by FIIAPP in consortium with IILA, the programme provides assistance for strengthening public policy and multi-stakeholder dialogues on sustainable agricultural and value chains, environmental and labour standards, as well as sustainable trade and economic policy and regulatory frameworks.