EUDR is the EU's deforestation law which will come into force on December 30, 2024. While the majority of attention has focused on the ability of suppliers and manufacturers to meet this deadline, little has been said about the question of whether the EUDR is doing enough to prevent deforestation. In this article, we look at corn to determine whether the EUDR should include it and whether it could be added at a later date.
Brazil is the source of the largest quantity of corn imported and consumed in Europe. Specifically, deforested land in Brazil and increasing volume of imports. According to data from the European Commission (EC), corn imports increased by 259 % (increase of 448 kt) since January 2022.
Should corn or other high-risk commodities be added to the EUDR?
What is corn?
Tall grass called corn produces grain. Cornstarch, oil, syrup, and cornmeal are all made from it.
Another use of corn is animal feed.
Do you think corn should be part of the EUDR?
Soy, beef, palm oils, cocoa and coffee are currently on the list of foods and drinks subject to EU deforestation regulations. Some think corn should also be included.
FoodNavigator reported that Julia Christian, forestry and agriculture campaigner at environmental organization Fern, said: "I believe that in the future we expect the EU to carry out an assessment fact-based analysis of the products that actually contribute the most to the EU's deforestation footprint. , especially corn. » It is a significant contributor to deforestation and it is growing.
There is also the argument that corn was not included in the current regulations.
Christian Fern says the topic probably should have come up in the first round.
Will corn then be included in the EUDR? The European Union is unable to provide details at this time, but it appears that the EUDR, as currently implemented, will be continually reviewed.
A European Commission spokesperson told FoodNavigator that "the possible extension of the review in 2025 will assess the possibility of extending the scope" to include other products. The relevant study continues to be developed.
What is EUDR
The EUDR is the European regulation on deforestation. This European directive ensures that products sold in EU markets, as well as those entering and leaving the European Union, comply with the European deforestation regulation.
The EUDR stipulates that all products containing the seven commodities at risk of deforestation – beef, soy, palm oil and wood, as well as cocoa, coffee and rubber – must prove that they do not come from land deforested after December 31, 2020 (*) To guarantee compliance of their products with regulations, companies must be certified.
Corn in food – GettyImages-fcafotodigital
Although pressure increases to delay EUDR, the
Recently, the American government has entered into the debate The EU maintains that it will continue to respect the deadline of December 30, 2024.The European Union Parliament and the Council adopted the regulation. It is therefore first and foremost our responsibility and our role as a Commission to implement the law,” said a spokesperson for the European Commission. This law was passed in June last year and, together with stakeholders, we are working very hard to implement it. ensure its implementation. Due to an emergency situation resulting from the high rate of deforestation, the co-legislators decided to set this date for next year “We are constantly monitoring the situation and doing our best to ensure that the necessary conditions are met. “
This Commission statement was supported by other major organizations involved in the implementation of the EUDR.
Michelle Deugd is the Director of Agriculture and Forestry at the Rainforest Alliance. (*) Tell FoodNavigator
In March, We don't know if the deadline will be changed, but it wouldn't surprise us if there was a last minute changeDespite the fact that. The Commission did not provide any support to the stakeholders, but they remained firm in their commitment to the December 30 deadline.
Christian Fern believes that the support provided was insufficient. There has been a lot of talk about smallholders, the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative and the Team Europe initiative budget. But this has not translated into support on the ground.
The answer to the question “Are smallholder cooperatives also able to directly access funds in order to put in place elements of a traceability system that would allow them to continue selling to EU customers” is No."
What more can the EU do to help stakeholders implement the EUDR?
There should be an on-demand fund that smallholder cooperatives can use to complete EUDR preparation work. I don't know of any funds of this type in any producing country that I know of. It is essential that the EU allocates more funds and recruits more staff to support this project. “They must also help producing countries to develop a national EUDR-compliant traceability system. »
Brazilian Rainforest – GettyImages-FG Trade
Brazil, for example, is one of Europe's main corn suppliers. Deforestation took place in order to allow this cultivation. GettyImages/FG Trade
The UN FAO estimates that the global rate of tree cutting has increased by 10 million hectares per year. This mainly involves creating space for crops, livestock and using trees to make materials like paper and furniture.
Every year, the loss of forests releases nearly 5 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of almost 10 % of all annual human emissions. NASA researchers have found that the accelerated clearing of rainforests on Borneo (the planet's third-largest island) through slash-and-burn methods contributed to the largest increase in global carbon emissions in a single year since more than two millennia.
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