What the EUDR requires
A practical overview of the EU Deforestation Regulation for coffee and cacao suppliers and the buyers who import from them.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115
The EUDR requires products such as coffee and cacao not to originate from land deforested or degraded after 31 December 2020, and to be produced in compliance with the laws of the country of production. To enter the European market, each shipment needs a Due Diligence Statement (DDS).
- — the product does not originate from land deforested after 31/12/2020;
- — the product does not originate from degraded forests;
- — the land was agricultural or non-forest before that date, or the crop was already legally established.
This is not a general assertion but a verifiable geospatial declaration.
From origin to declaration
- 01
Identify the responsible EU operator
The DDS is submitted by the operator placing the product on the EU market — usually the European importer. The exporter at origin provides the technical information; the EU operator registers the declaration in the official EU information system.
- 02
Collect the mandatory information at origin
An EUDR technical package is prepared for the EU operator.
- Precise geolocation: GPS coordinates for each plot — a single point for plots under 4 ha, a polygon (e.g. shapefile / KML) for larger plots — linked to the producer and lot.
- Evidence of no deforestation: land use before 31/12/2020, shown with historical satellite imagery (e.g. 2018–2020), local agricultural certificates, cooperative or farm records. A producer's sworn statement is supplementary, never the sole evidence.
- Compliance with the laws of the country of production: land tenure, permitted agricultural use, environmental regulations and basic labour standards.
- 03
Risk assessment
The EU operator assesses the risk of deforestation, considering the country of origin (e.g. Peru is standard risk, not automatically low), the production area (Amazon, cloud forest, Andes…), the producer or cooperative history and the traceability level (individual plot vs. mixing). If risk is negligible the declaration can be submitted; if not, mitigation measures and additional evidence are required.
- 04
Due Diligence Statement (DDS)
The operator declares in the EU information system that the product is deforestation-free, produced in accordance with the laws of the country of production, and complies with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. Without a valid DDS, the product cannot be cleared through EU customs.
- Product and HS code (e.g. green coffee 0901, cacao beans 1801)
- Quantity
- Country of production
- Geographical coordinates
- Risk-assessment result
- Operator identity
Responsibilities in a Kapak Road trade
Producers & cooperatives
Provide plot locations, land-use records and legality documents for their lots.
Kapak Road — compliance partner
Supports the EUDR process and collects and structures geolocation and supporting documents with producers, with support from an independent UK-based verification partner, and links them to each lot.
EU operator / trader
Performs the risk assessment, decides on mitigation and submits the formal Due Diligence Statement.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Each operator or trader is responsible for determining its own obligations under Regulation (EU) 2023/1115.