Ivory Coast's Cocoa Challenge: Tracing Roots to Combat Deforestation

The Ivory Coast, a major cocoa producer, faces challenges in complying with the EU's anti-deforestation law, as less than half of its cocoa can be traced back to its origin. Trase reports the persistent issue of indirect supplies, complicating visibility and compliance with environmental regulations.

The Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, has less than half of its cocoa exports for 2024 traceable to their origins, raising concerns about meeting the EU's new anti-deforestation standards. The non-profit Trase has highlighted issues with the country's supply chain transparency.

Brussels' forthcoming regulations require EU importers to ensure that their commodities aren't sourced from deforested land. However, only 48% of Ivorian cocoa can currently be traced back to its cooperatives, largely due to intermediaries. This lack of traceability complicates efforts to tackle related environmental and social issues.

To align with EU expectations, Ivory Coast is implementing a digitalized system to streamline transaction verifications. Despite a decline in deforestation rates over the last decade, significant forest loss remains a concern, largely driven by cocoa expansion.