Are we ready? How supply chains are preparing for the zero-deforestation regulation

SUMMARY OF THE ROUNDTABLE

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Full recording and video clips available below!

>> Read the press release <<

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The European Union has agreed to ban the import of 7 commodities that cause deforestation: cocoa, coffee, cattle, palm oil, rubber, soy, and timber.
This decision is driven by the urgency to change European practices as Europe is responsible for a significant portion of global deforestation. Europe imported goods are responsible for an average of 10-16% of global deforestation, making the EU the second-largest importer of deforestation.

The EU has agreed on strict due diligence requirements for these goods to enter the European market, including tackling deforestation regardless of whether it is legal or illegal, strict traceability requirements linking the commodities to the farmland where they were produced, and a country benchmarking system.

Operators and traders will have 18 months to implement the new rules, with micro and small enterprises given a longer adaptation period.

Technical and crucial obligations have yet to be clarified, and the new rules engage the full supply chains of the 7 commodities, upstream and downstream, in both foreign producing and EU importing countries.

Given the stringent regulations and limited time for compliance, are producing and exporting countries prepared for the changes? Have they implemented new practices and tools to meet the new requirements? What is their current status? How can small operators comply with the new rules?

On February 9, Competere hosted a roundtable discussion to provide insight into the challenges and impacts of the regulation on both producer countries and food processors. A panel of esteemed experts spoke on the topic.

>> Download the key takeaways <<

SPEAKERS

Felipe Carazo, Head of Public Sector Engagement, Tropical Forest Alliance 

Xiomara Lima, Corporate Communication Manager, Grupo HAME

Vijaya Subramaniam, Head of Peat Ecosystem & Biodiversity Unit, MPOB

MODERATOR

Pietro Paganini, President, Competere.eu

Download the slides

• Xiomara Lima
• Vijaya Subramaniam

REWATCH THE EVENT 

Pills from the event 

Felipe Carazo, Head of Public Sector Engagement, Tropical Forest Alliance

 

Xiomara Lima, Corporate Communication Manager, Grupo HAME

Vijaya Subramaniam, Head of Peat Ecosystem & Biodiversity Unit, MPOB

 

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SPEAKER BIO

Felipe Carazo serves as Head of Public Sector Engagement for the Tropical Forest Alliance, housed by the World Economic Forum. He brings along twenty years of experience developing and overseeing programs and initiatives addressing policy, governance, capacity building, private-public partnerships, and south-south cooperation. Previously he was Executive Director for Fundecor, an instrumental ‘think tank’ for his native Costa Rica to develop and implement sound forest positive practices.  In this role he was a high-level advisor to the Government of Costa Rica. Before, he worked at The Nature Conservancy and the United Nations Development Program with diverse sustainability strategies across many contexts.

Xiomara Lima, Corporate Communications Manager for Grupo HAME, leads all processes related to the corporation’s internal and external communications. She brings experience in strategic corporate communications focused on sustainability and climate change, digital communications, integration with international standards and certifications, multisectoral coordination, and commercial relationships.

Vijaya Subramaniam is currently attached to the Biology and Sustainable Research Division in Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB). She holds the post of Special Grade Research Officer and is the Head of Peat Ecosystem & Biodiversity Unit. Her areas of expertise are in the discipline of Life Cycle Assessment for palm oil and the oil palm industry, water footprint, carbon footprint, sustainability and climate change, recovery of residual oil (waste to wealth program), indirect land use change (ILUC), Social LCA and LCSA. She has published over 42 scientific journal articles and 11 book chapters in her field and has received more than 20 awards.

Pietro Paganini is an economic and (geo)political analyst and disseminator, and the Chair and Founder at Competere. Pietro serves as Adjunct Professor in Business Administration at Fox School of Business – Temple University of Philadelphia (2015), and as Adjunct Professor in Business Administration at John Cabot University, Rome (2008). He served as Visiting Professor for the MPOB-UKM Endowment Chair, The National University of Malaysia (UKM) (2021). He served as General Director of Fondazione Luigi Einaudi. He is the founder of the Italian Institute for Privacy – Istituto Italiano per la Privacy e la Valorizzazione dei Dati – where he seats in the Board. He is a regular contributor to the Italian national newspapers and international publications and media, in which he has continuously advocated for an open society and innovation policies. He is regularly hosted in TV and radio talk shows on main Italian and international broadcasters.