EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products – Where Do We Stand on Implementation and What Effects Can We Expect?

Joint Event of German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa and Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil at Anuga 2023

On June 29, 2023, the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) came into force. Now it's time to implement it – but for many, some questions remain unanswered. How can companies prove that their supply chains are compliant with the regulation? And how can it be ensured that they do not exclude the market participants for whom traceability is often the most difficult – smallholder farmers?

Seven agricultural commodities, including cocoa and palm oil, are affected by the regulation. At the joint event of German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa and Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil, stakeholders from both sectors will engage in discussions.

Dr. Thomas Baldauf (Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture) outlines the regulation. Subsequently, Jennifer Lichter (REWE Group) and Bakary Traoré (Initiatives pour le Développement communautaire et la conservation de la Forêt, IDEF) will report on the challenges that arise during implementation for a European retailer and on site in Côte d'Ivoire. In the subsequent panel discussion, they engage in a dialogue with experts from Indonesia and a European food manufacturer about how companies can implement the regulation in a way that benefits local small producers. What can stakeholders in the cocoa and palm oil sectors learn from each other in this regard?

The program of the event can be found here: https://www.kakaoforum.de/fileadmin/Redaktion/Workshops_und_Veranstaltungen/ANUGA/2023/Programm_Anuga_EN.pdf

For better planning, we kindly ask you to register in advance for the professional event. The registration form for the event can be found on this page: https://www.kakaoforum.de/en/our-work/events-workshops/anuga-2023

The event will be conducted in German with translations available in English and French.

Following the event, a reception will take place in the lounge area of the German Food Retail Association (BVLH). BVLH is a founding organization and namesake of Anuga, as well as a member of the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa.

 Please note the following Information:

·  To access the event, you need a paid admission ticket to Anuga. Participation without an Anuga admission ticket is unfortunately not possible.

·  Participation in Anuga is generally only possible for representatives of the private sector. Civil society members of both forums are therefore requested to register through this website. This helps avoid difficulties or delays in purchasing tickets. Spontaneous participation cannot be guaranteed.

·  The event will be photographed. If you do not agree with this, please inform us in advance.