Coffee growers worry asEU’s deforestation rule looms

Bengaluru: Karnataka's coffee heartland — comprising Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan — is staring at a regulatory storm as the European Union's stringent Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) looms large.

The rule, set to take effect from Jan 1, 2026, mandates that exporters prove their coffee is deforestation-free by providing precise geolocation or polygon mapping data of plantations.

For India, which exports over 70% of its coffee with nearly 60% heading to the EU, this regulation has sparked anxiety among growers, especially smallholders who form the backbone of the sector.

Coffee prices are finally looking up after years of volatility, but this regulation threatens to undo our gains, said KK Vishwanath, vice-president of the Karnataka Coffee Growers Federation.

We are not against sustainability, but the cost and complexity of compliance are a burden on small farmers. Most of us don't even know how to create GeoJSON files.

EUDR, adopted in 2023, is hailed as one of the world's toughest laws to curb tropical deforestation. It bars the EU market from sourcing commodities linked to forest clearing after Dec 31, 2020, and requires importers to submit due diligence statements proving legality and sustainability.