Africa takes the lead on building deforestation-free value chains

Africa takes the lead on building deforestation-free value chains

At the 2nd Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), that took place on September 8-10 2025 in Addis Ababa, African governments, farmer cooperatives, private innovators, and international partners joined forces to showcase pioneering solutions for meeting the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), while strengthening rural livelihoods and protecting forests.

The side event, "Building Deforestation-Free Value Chains: Lessons from Africa's Coffee and Cocoa Sectors and Beyond" highlighted Africa's leadership in developing scalable models, which deliver future proof and sustainable solutions that are in line with joint commitments, via concrete examples from Uganda and Côte d'Ivoire. This event was hosted at the Team Europe Pavilion within ACS2, which represented the strong joint commitment of Europe and Africa to accelerate climate action and celebrated both the 50 anniversary of the EU-Ethiopian relations and the 25 anniversary of the AU-EU partnership (#AUEU25).

Consumers no longer want to eat forests away - neither in Europe nor in Africa

The EUDR is closely linked to the "Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use", in which Leaders from 34 African countries and from all 27 European Union member confirmed "We therefore commit to working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation."

Yet, the challenge remains immense. The World Resources Institute (WRI), through its Global Forest Watch platform, reported in May 2025 a global record of 6.7 million hectares of primary tropical forest lost in 2024. This alarming rate of loss puts the global goal of ending deforestation by 2030 significantly off track. While tree cover loss outside the tropics decreased, the increase in tropical primary forest loss was so severe that global tree cover loss rose by 19% in 2024. WRI's latest analysis also shows that 92% of deforestation in Africa between 2021 and 2024 was driven by permanent agriculture and shifting cultivation.

This is why the EUDR is so important - particularly for Africa, where addressing agricultural drivers of deforestation is central to both protecting forests and securing sustainable livelihoods.

The objectives of the EUDR are:

• To avoid that the listed products Europeans buy, use and consume contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in the EU and globally

• To reduce carbon emissions caused by EU consumption and production of the relevant commodities by at least 32 million metric tonnes a year

• To address all deforestation driven by agricultural expansion to produce the commodities in the scope of the regulation, as well as forest degradation

The EUDR is increasingly recognised by African governments, civil society organisations, and private sector actors as a framework that brings concrete benefits - for farmers, for forests, and for trade. With Team Europe's support, it is not just about accessing European markets, it is about building stronger governance systems and resilient value chains. At its core, the EUDR is about sustainable development, impact investments, and creating shared value - for the planet, for people, and for the prosperity of smallholder farmers in Africa and beyond

While delivering his opening remarks at the event, Matthias Reusing, First Counsellor for Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Digital Transition at the European Union Delegation to the African Union, presented latest updates to demystify the EUDR.

"The EUDR is not a trade instrument but serves a clear purpose in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change: to limit deforestation, thereby reducing the Union's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and to global biodiversity loss, while ensuring a level playing field. We as Team Europe will continue to work hard, in cooperation with all stakeholders, to ensure that the EUDR delivers on these promises."

Traceability is now inseparably linked with quality and provides the data needed to ensure not only compliance but also improvements in market access, transparency, and sustainability.

Uganda's traceability breakthrough

Uganda has already geo-mapped 1.5 million farmers across 126 districts and launched a national EUDR traceability system, safeguarding over USD 1 billion in coffee exports and creating new jobs that are attractive to youth.

"We are at a crossroads. The EUDR isn't just another regulatory hurdle. It's a wake-up call for the entire coffee value chain to become more transparent, traceable, and sustainable," said Fredrick Bwino Kyakulaga, State Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, Uganda, speaking at the World of Coffee Expo in Geneva in June 2025.

"Compliance is not just about technology - it's about trust, information, and capacity. Uganda's journey shows that with government leadership and private sector partnerships, smallholders can be empowered, not excluded," said Samson Emong, CEO, Café Africa

Ivan Mugeere, Country Manager, Uganda at Pula Advisors, highlighted that the EUDR is consistent with Uganda's own priorities:

"After some initial frustrations, we came to realise that the EUDR is fully in line with Uganda's National Law. This alignment gives us confidence that compliance is achievable and beneficial - not just for exports but for strengthening our own governance systems.

Our traceability demonstrations prove that African-designed systems are already user-friendly, interoperable, and affordable. The costs are modest compared to the economic benefits of securing export markets and building farmer resilience."

Côte d'Ivoire: Professionalising cooperatives and rewarding conservation

Enabel, the Belgian agency for international cooperation, presented its work with the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and cocoa cooperatives to turn compliance into opportunity.

"We support cooperatives to professionalise governance, financial and commercial management, and sustainability practices. To date, more than 50,000 farmers have been supported. With tools like the EUDR self-assessment checklist and Payments for Ecosystem Services, farmers are rewarded for conserving trees and biodiversity," said Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel. "This is about tackling the root causes of deforestation, diversifying incomes, and building a global reputation for sustainable cocoa. Compliance can be a win-win for farmers, forests, and markets."

This programme is financed by the European Union.

Africa's collective ambition

The discussion connected directly to the ACS2 Outcome Document, stressing that Africa is not a passive rule-taker but a frontrunner in shaping global sustainable trade.

"This is Africa's moment to lead. The EU and organisations like AfCEN and Enabel stand ready to follow Africa's lead - providing technical assistance, facilitating networks, and sharing lessons across countries," said Joseph Ng'ang'a, CEO of AfCEN and CEO of the 1st Africa Climate Summit 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Looking ahead

Panellists agreed that the coming 12 months are decisive. Compliance deadlines fixed for December 2025 (large operators) and June 2026 (SMEs) cannot be moved.

But with African governments and organizations such as Africa Climate and Energy Nexus (AfCEN) showing leadership, and international partners providing targeted support, EUDR compliance can accelerate a transformation towards resilient, inclusive, and deforestation-free value chains.

Contact Details:

Africa Climate and Energy Nexus (AfCEN): [email protected]

EU Delegation to AU: [email protected]

Pula Advisors: [email protected]

Enabel: [email protected]

[1]https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230418175226/https://ukcop26.org/glasgow-leaders-declaration-on-forests-and-land-use/

[2] https://gfr.wri.org/forest-extent-indicators/forest-loss