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The European Commission recently proposed a 12-month extension for the entry into force of the EUDR (European Deforestation-free Products Regulation), a regulation with a strong impact on many sectors, including coffee.
The new deadline, confirmation of which is expected any day now, will move the implementation of the regulation to 30 December 2025 for medium and large companies, and to 30 June 2026 for micro and small companies. This is the European Commission's response to concerns expressed by various economic actors and international partners about the ability to comply with the new rules in timeframes, considered by many to be prohibitive.
The news, in fact, has brought relief to many sectors, including the coffee industry, where the complexity of supply chains and the need for traceability require huge investments in time and resources.
Coffee is one of the commodities most affected by the EUDR and the issue of deforestation, but to date not all the actors involved are equally prepared for this change, which impacts due diligence and traceability processes in particular.
Therefore, for companies like Qahwa Limited, which operate throughout Europe, the postponement must be an opportunity to further structure themselves for the implementation of the new rules. It must mean being truly prepared for the future.
Qahwa Limited has been committed for years to guaranteeing the sustainability of its products and the transparency of its processes: direct contact with the producers and regular visits to the plantations allow us to identify the cultivations that actually apply processes that respect the environment and people. This is why the coffee that Qahwa distributes throughout Europe complies with strict standards and is traceable along the entire supply chain. And this is why Qahwa Limited already holds Bio, Fairtrade and Rainforest certifications.
Although necessary, the extension will not reduce the urgency of action, but will offer all operators a more gradual path to full compliance.
A time window that coffee companies must use to refine their processes, building a dialogue with producers and improving the monitoring and verification of the sustainability parameters of their crops and business model.
Being informed and ready to respond to the challenges of a global market is part of Qahwa's mission. That is why we have from the outset interpreted this news not as a step backwards, but as an opportunity to ensure that the coffee industry, and not only, actually adopts increasingly responsible practices.
As an operator with a privileged point of view, Qahwa will continue to be a point of reference for its stakeholders, keeping a close eye on the issues that are most crucial for the evolution of the sector, and always seeking to identify all the risks and opportunities in the challenges that the market offers us.