(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s Cocoa and Coffee Interprofessional Council (CICC) launched a national awareness campaign on June 5, 2025, in Bertoua, the regional capital of the East. The campaign aims to inform cocoa and coffee producers about the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), which bans the import and sale in Europe of products linked to deforestation.
The EUDR covers seven agricultural products and their derivatives: cocoa, coffee, rubber, palm oil, soy, beef, and timber. Originally set to take effect on January 1, 2025, the regulation’s enforcement was delayed by one year to January 1, 2026, following requests from producing countries. These countries had sought a two-year postponement to meet the new European requirements.
As part of the awareness campaign, the CICC team, led by Executive Secretary Omer Malédy, will visit various production basins. The goal is to explain the regulation’s content to cocoa and coffee producers and emphasize the importance of compliance. This is particularly crucial given that, as Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana noted, “78% of Cameroon’s cocoa exports and 68% of its coffee exports” are destined for the European market.
To access the European market from January 1, 2026, EUDR-regulated products must comply with the legislation of their country of origin and be accompanied by a due diligence statement submitted through an information system established by the European Commission. Beyond these two requirements, products exported to the EU must specifically be certified as “deforestation-free.”
To help producers and buyers meet this critical EUDR requirement, the CICC signed an agreement on August 28, 2024, in Yaoundé, to pool georeferenced data for cocoa and coffee plots. The agreement involves six cocoa exporters and will create a centralized data platform, providing mapping that enables exporters to ensure their products meet European sustainability standards.
According to the Trade Minister, this initiative aims to protect small producers who might otherwise be penalized by the new requirements due to associated costs. The government official stated that data sharing will help small producers maintain access to the European market while boosting Cameroon’s international competitiveness.
BRM
