Countdown to Sustainability: Preparing for EUDR Compliance in 2025
Climate resilience

Photo credit::GIZ
As we step into 2025, the clock is ticking for the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This legislation is a critical milestone in the global effort to curb deforestation and forest degradation.
The EUDR formally entered into force in June 2023, targeting global deforestation and biodiversity loss linked to EU consumption. In December 2024 the European Union granted a 12-month additional phasing-in period, making the law applicable on 30 December 2025 for large and medium companies and 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises. This extension offers a chance to prepare, innovate, and thrive in the new regulatory landscape.
The Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) project, together with MOVE-ComCashew, is implementing the Joint Action “Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains”, co-financed by the European Union under the Samoa agreement with OACPS and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Under this Joint Action, ABF aims to contribute to economic and climate change resilience of the cocoa, maize and livestock (cattle, sheep, goats) value chains, enhance food security, increase income, and boost employment in the 79 OACPS member states.
As part of our mandate, the project addresses critical developments impacting African agribusinesses, particularly in connecting local value chains to global markets. The EUDR is one such pivotal policy, aimed at reducing the EU's deforestation footprint while setting stringent requirements for operators and traders to ensure their products are deforestation-free.
Recognizing the challenges and opportunities that the EUDR presents for African producers and businesses, an expert talk was recently hosted, featuring insights from Indra Van Gisbergen, Forest Governance Campaigner from FERN, and Noélie Svara, Advisor from the Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains Initiative (SASI).
This webinar highlighted practical steps for leveraging the extended compliance timeline. Key takeaways included the importance of collaboration between governments, businesses, and NGOs, the need for robust traceability systems, and capacity-building initiatives to support smallholder farmers in adopting sustainable practices.
Watch the Expert Talk
Catch the full expert talk video here and explore other expert talks from 2024.
Access Key Resources
To address your questions and deepen your understanding, we recommend the following resources
- EUDR - Myths vs. Reality - Debunking myths around the EU Deforestation Regulation
- Official EUDR FAQ
- Implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation
- EU Deforestation Regulation: publications and resources - AGRINFO Platform
- Website of the TEI (team europe initiative): Home - Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains
- SAFE programme: SAFE - Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains