Coffee farmers strive to meet EU’s new regulation

Kozhikode: With the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) set to take effect on Dec 30, coffee farmers in Wayanad the state's largest coffee-producing region are racing against time to meet the new compliance requirements.

The EUDR bars EU markets from sourcing deforestation-linked commodities, including coffee, and requires operators and traders who place goods on the EU market to prove that this commodity does not originate from land that was deforested or degraded after Dec 31, 2020.

Companies must prove their products are deforestation-free by providing full supply chain traceability and a due diligence statement in this regard.

Despite the looming deadline, sources estimate that over 30,000 farmers in Wayanad have yet to complete the compliance process, including geolocation and polygon mapping of their plantations.

To address the urgency, Coffee Board of India has launched an intensive campaign to register farmers on the India Coffee app, which will serve as a platform to facilitate compliance.

On Tuesday, a drive was held at Vellamunda drew over 300 farmers, with 224 completing registration. Similar campaigns will soon be rolled out in Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and other centres.

Ensuring compliance is critical because the EU is our biggest coffee market, said Prasanth Rajesh, director of Wayanad coffee growers association. Nearly three-fourths of India's coffee is exported, and around 70% goes to Europe. Wayanad's Robusta coffee is heavily dependent on EU buyers. If compliance fails, our exports will take a severe hit,he added.

Coffee Board of India joint director (extension) Karuthamani said that once the farmers register with the India Coffee app, the staff of Coffee Board of India will visit the plantations and conduct the mapping through geolocation for small plantations and polygon mapping for plantations above 10 acres.

So far we have carried out registration of 6,000 farmers in Wayanad and 2,000 farmers in Idukki and we are planning to complete the registration of around 40,000 farmers in the state by Dec, of which over 30,000 would be from Wayanad,he said.

Though India is currently classified as a low-risk country under the EUDR compared with some global competitors, industry sources stress the need for transparency in mapping and data use.The Coffee Board should be the nodal agency and there should be some system to ensure that the produce of genuine farmers is tracked to their specific plots and that polygon markings of the coffee plantations of genuine framers don't get misused by private firms, Rajesh said.