Coffee from deforested areas will not enter Europe, says UCDA
Uganda is the leading exporter of coffee in Africa and the seventh largest producer in the world. Photo / File
What you need to know:
- UCDA says Uganda will be required to collect detailed information, especially on production and locations to determine the level of risk that exported coffee presents to the environment
The European Union (EU) will deny entry of coffee planted and harvested in deforested areas into Europe. The move adds to other already conditions. However, this seeks to discourage deforestation and environmental conservation.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting on EU Deforestation Regulation compliance, Mr Richard Nangasa, the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), manager of coffee extension services, said Uganda is expected to collect detailed information, especially on production and locations to determine the level of risk of exported coffee to the environment.
“The [exporter] is expected to mitigate the risk. It is not that when you find the land that has been deforested, then that is the area of risk. The law provides that you have to mitigate the risk and that is very important,” Mr Nangasa said, noting that UCDA and other exporters will be required to present a due diligence statement for each batch of coffee placed on the EU market.
The EU Deforestation Regulation 2023 requires that coffee planted after December 2020 must prove that no deforestation took place before it was planted. Under normal circumstances, this would require every coffee farmer to prove that their farm conserves tree cover but this would be done under at the country level under which Uganda has been allowed to seek compliance.
Mr Nangasa also noted that exporters or the country are required to mitigate risks resulting from coffee planting to forestation through capacity building of the value chain or through establishing sufficient digital infrastructure to mitigate the risk of deforestation.
Mr Kenneth Barigye, the Mountain Harvest managing director, said over 80 percent of Uganda’s coffee is produced by smallholder farmers and the supply chain is so long that it is difficult to trace the origin of all exported coffee.
“The agreement that allows our country to be declared compliant, I think [this] comes in to help,” he said, noting that it will be easier and less costly .
Mr Barigye also noted that they are aware that almost 90 percent of Uganda’s coffee is more than 15 years old, which would mean that the country is less exposed to the declaration that earmarks trees planted in 2020.
Exports to Europe
Uganda is the leading exporter of coffee in Africa and the seventh-largest producer in the world. The country exports at least 65 percent of its coffee to the EU, which makes it an important market for Uganda’s leading cash crop export.
