Kenya has announced it will fully comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by December 30, 2025, as part of its commitment to continue accessing the EU market.
The EUDR requires all companies exporting to the EU to provide proof that their agricultural products were not produced on land that was deforested after December 31, 2020. The regulations target commodities linked to deforestation, including coffee, cocoa, soy, beef, palm oil, rubber, and wood.
Initially set to take effect on December 30, 2024, the EU has extended the enforcement deadline by one year to allow more time for compliance.
Kenya, a major exporter to the EU, is actively preparing to meet the new requirements. Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Director General Bruno Linyiru said the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has begun mapping all parcels of land under coffee farming.
So far, 30 percent of land under coffee in 16 out of the 33 coffee-growing counties has been geo-mapped using satellite technology, covering 32,688 hectares.
“In the next two months, several teams under the EUDR Data Committee—comprising the State Department for Agriculture, State Department for Cooperatives, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Space Agency, and Livestock Research Organization—will be mapping the remaining coffee-growing areas across the country,” Linyiru said.
Kenya exports 95 percent of its coffee, with 55 percent heading to the EU. Over the past five years, the country has shipped 122,669 metric tonnes of clean coffee to the EU, valued at $695.7 million.
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