Brazil braces for tighter EU anti-deforestation rules amid decline in coffee volume exports

Brazilian authorities have said that the forthcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will harm their exports to Europe, a key market for the South American coffee-growing giant. The country, which has been heavily criticized for not doing enough to tackle deforestation, is planning initiatives to improve sustainability to compete in the European market.

Alongside Indonesia and Malaysia, Brazil called for the EUDR’s postponement, claiming more time was needed to prepare. They were among the countries that urged the European Parliament to delay the EUDA from coming into force in December 2024. 

A few weeks ago, the EU agreed to the delay, which was supposed to begin in December 2024, to clamp down on deforestation-linked commodities like coffee, cocoa, soy, and palm oil. This was met with heavy criticism from environmentalists. 

Avoiding deforestation

Meanwhile, Brazil’s coffee industry is looking forward to bolstering sustainability and environmental practices to get ahead of the EUDR, which is now set to start at the end of this year. 

Brazil’s efforts to cut ties with deforestation come amid a decline in the country’s coffee volume exports. 

According to the monthly statistical report of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé), in December 2024, 3.808 million 60 kg bags of all types of the product were shipped abroad, corresponding to foreign exchange earnings of US$1.145 billion. 

This is an 8.1% decrease in volume but a 42.2% increase in foreign exchange earnings compared to the same period in 2023, says Cecafé. 

The Brazilian coffee industry knows that stricter coffee import legislation through the EUDR is on the horizon.

Brazil’s coffee volume exports dip

Cecafé’s monthly report for December 2024 says: “Cecafé’s priority for 2025 is to improve sector knowledge and support its adaptation to the new realities of exporting to the European Union, which requires comprehensive socio-environmental risk due diligence processes throughout the supply chain.”

“This is even more important given the relevance of the European Union for Brazilian coffee exports. According to Cecafé data, Brazil exported 23.6 million bags of coffee tothe European Union in 2024, representing a 42.8% increase in sales to the bloc. As a result, the EU now accounts for 47% of Brazil’s total coffee exports.”

“This means that approximately 71,500 containers will be subject to verification, highlighting the need for a structured and strategic approach in working with European leaders to classify Brazil’s coffee growing regions based on technical and scientific data.”

Mapping coffee for better sustainability

Brazil is progressing its coffee mapping processes as part of plans to ramp up sustainability practices and ensure the industry is not linked to deforestation. 

The Cecafé report also highlights the need for up-to-date and standardized mapping of coffee-growing areas that “reflect the reality of the environmental responsibility of Brazilian coffee growing.” 

Mapping coffee-growing areas is a fundamental tool for exporters to avoid unnecessary bureaucratic burdens.

Brazilian coffee organizations, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) and other members of the Deliberative Council for Coffee Policy (CDPC), have developed a project to geo-reference coffee plantations using high-resolution imagery.

“The mapping will show coffee plantations as of December 2020 (the cut-off date of the EUDR), as well as coffee plantations currently under cultivation. Based on these two reference points, the dynamics of the coffee growing area will be accurately determined.” 

“Preliminary data indicate stability in the size of the area under cultivation, with localized expansions in some regions over low capacity pastures, which will further support the ‘low-risk’ classification for Brazil’s coffee growing regions.” 

False deforestation alerts?

The coffee plantation georeferencing project should utilize technology capable of producing high-resolution imagery to meet EUDR requirements and gain a competitive advantage. 

“This process must include thorough verification and validation by a qualified professional with recognized expertise,” adds the report. 

The report claims that European authorities and importers have used algorithms and artificial intelligence to obtain imagery, which has led to false deforestation alerts, “as these tools have difficulty distinguishing between protected forest areas and coffee plantations.”