Brazilian coffee farming is prepared for the requirements of the European anti-deforestation law.

The regulatory uncertainties caused by the imminent implementation of the European Union's anti-deforestation legislation (EUDR), scheduled to come into force at the end of this year, and the unpredictable scenario generated by US tariffs set the tone on Thursday morning (21), on the last day of the XXV International Coffee Seminar. Experts stated that, although the advance of global protectionism imposes new trade barriers, Brazil's coffee ecosystem stands out as one of the most prepared to respond to the demands. Moderator of the Regulation panel, in which the subject was discussed, the CEO of Cecafé, Marcos Matos, spoke about distortions in the new European rule, such as the fact that the legislation does not differentiate between native forests and planted areas. "We have properties with commercial eucalyptus forests, for example, which already brings a risk of interpretation by the European Union. In addition, soluble coffee has not yet been included in the list of exceptions to the moratorium, which requires attention," he pondered. To detail the confrontation with European legislation, the Deputy Secretary of Trade and International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), Augusto Luís Billi, criticized the unilateral nature of the measure. According to him, Europeans have difficulty understanding Brazilian agriculture. “We have already spoken to them about the difficulty of implementing the EUDR. Here, we have our Brazilian Forest Code (which requires the preservation of at least 20% of rural properties), which is more stringent. For us, it is fair. Now, am I going to demand that only countries that obey our rules export here? That's colonialism,” he said, emphasizing that he does not think it is right for the European Union to force other nations to conform to its reality. He also said that the federal government has adjusted its communication in order to show European managers “that we are different,” which makes it incompatible to adopt measures implemented in the Old Continent here. Despite the criticism of the European model, Billi assured that Brazil is among the countries best prepared to meet the new requirements. The Deputy Secretary highlighted that, although other sectors may still face structural difficulties, the national coffee industry is at the forefront of meeting regulatory goals. This scenario of practical compliance was corroborated by the Senior Manager of Coffee Relationship and Trade at the Rainforest Alliance, Kevin Lardner. According to the executive, the cross-referencing of geodata has flowed rapidly, allowing 70% of Rainforest Alliance certificate holders in Brazil to be fully aligned with EUDR criteria. "Our expectation is that this percentage will grow." Having overcome the debates about the Old Continent, the panel's spotlight turned to the unpredictable scenario generated by US tariff barriers. The president and CEO of the National Coffee Association of the USA (NCA), Bill Murray, detailed that the government of US President Donald Trump sees import taxes as a central instrument. Furthermore, the executive explained that, although the United States Supreme Court deemed the initial 50% flat tariffs illegal, the American government maintains a general rate of 10%, which expires in July, and is already working on a new tax package. "In the future, we will be in difficulty because of the tariffs, which serve Trump's interests. There is no guarantee for the future," warned Murray, highlighting the climate of uncertainty that is emerging for global trade.

This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.