The role of due diligence in tackling deforestation in agricultural supply chains: Emerging practices in Europe

This paper examines the European Union’s efforts to curb global deforestation and forest degradation through the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Against the backdrop of urgent climate action and the failure of previous voluntary commitments, the EU has introduced a mandatory legal framework to ensure “deforestation-free” supply chains.

The EUDR mandates rigorous due diligence (DD) for commodities most linked to forest loss, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, and wood. Drawing on lessons from the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), the EUDR introduces innovative mechanisms: the high-resolution geolocation traceability, a centralized information system for transparency, and a country benchmarking system to categorize risk levels. These features aim to create a level playing field and enhance the stringency of enforcement across member states.

This paper, however identifies several critical challenges in the implementation of EUDR. These include the potential mismatch between the FAO-based definition of “forest” and that in each national context, the risk of marginalizing smallholders and Indigenous Peoples, and the difficulty of incentivizing governance reforms in producer countries. The paper concludes that while the EUDR represents a significant step forward in corporate responsibility, its ultimate success depends on the effective integration of technical enforcement with robust international partnerships and support for land tenure security.

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17528/cifor-icraf/009469

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TI  - The role of due diligence in tackling deforestation in agricultural supply chains: Emerging practices in Europe 
AU  - Momii, M. 
AU  - Naito, D. 
AB  - This paper examines the European Union’s efforts to curb global deforestation and forest degradation through the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Against the backdrop of urgent climate action and the failure of previous voluntary commitments, the EU has introduced a mandatory legal framework to ensure “deforestation-free” supply chains.
The EUDR mandates rigorous due diligence (DD) for commodities most linked to forest loss, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, and wood. Drawing on lessons from the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), the EUDR introduces innovative mechanisms: the high-resolution geolocation traceability, a centralized information system for transparency, and a country benchmarking system to categorize risk levels. These features aim to create a level playing field and enhance the stringency of enforcement across member states.
This paper, however identifies several critical challenges in the implementation of EUDR. These include the potential mismatch between the FAO-based definition of “forest” and that in each national context, the risk of marginalizing smallholders and Indigenous Peoples, and the difficulty of incentivizing governance reforms in producer countries. The paper concludes that while the EUDR represents a significant step forward in corporate responsibility, its ultimate success depends on the effective integration of technical enforcement with robust international partnerships and support for land tenure security. 
PY  - 2026 
PB  - CIFOR and ICRAF as Landscape Alliance 
PP  - Bogor, Indonesia and Nairobi, Kenya 
UR  - https://www.cifor-icraf.org/knowledge/publication/9469/ 
DO  - https://doi.org/10.17528/cifor-icraf/009469 
KW  - commodity trade, deforestation, degradation, due diligence, forestry policies, governance, indigenous peoples, land tenure, land use, regulations, supply chains, timber trade, value chains 
ER  -

Endnote (.ciw)

%T The role of due diligence in tackling deforestation in agricultural supply chains: Emerging practices in Europe 
%A Momii, M. 
%A Naito, D. 
%D 2026 
%I CIFOR and ICRAF as Landscape Alliance 
%C Bogor, Indonesia and Nairobi, Kenya 
%U https://www.cifor-icraf.org/knowledge/publication/9469/ 
%R https://doi.org/10.17528/cifor-icraf/009469 
%X This paper examines the European Union’s efforts to curb global deforestation and forest degradation through the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Against the backdrop of urgent climate action and the failure of previous voluntary commitments, the EU has introduced a mandatory legal framework to ensure “deforestation-free” supply chains.
The EUDR mandates rigorous due diligence (DD) for commodities most linked to forest loss, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, and wood. Drawing on lessons from the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), the EUDR introduces innovative mechanisms: the high-resolution geolocation traceability, a centralized information system for transparency, and a country benchmarking system to categorize risk levels. These features aim to create a level playing field and enhance the stringency of enforcement across member states.
This paper, however identifies several critical challenges in the implementation of EUDR. These include the potential mismatch between the FAO-based definition of “forest” and that in each national context, the risk of marginalizing smallholders and Indigenous Peoples, and the difficulty of incentivizing governance reforms in producer countries. The paper concludes that while the EUDR represents a significant step forward in corporate responsibility, its ultimate success depends on the effective integration of technical enforcement with robust international partnerships and support for land tenure security. 
%K commodity trade 
%K deforestation 
%K degradation 
%K due diligence 
%K forestry policies 
%K governance 
%K indigenous peoples 
%K land tenure 
%K land use 
%K regulations 
%K supply chains 
%K timber trade 
%K value chains

Publisher

CIFOR and ICRAF as Landscape Alliance: Bogor, Indonesia and Nairobi, Kenya

Publication year

2026

Authors

Momii, M.; Naito, D.

Language

English

Keywords

commodity trade, deforestation, degradation, due diligence, forestry policies, governance, indigenous peoples, land tenure, land use, regulations, supply chains, timber trade, value chains