On the afternoon of May 31, Minister Le Minh Hoan chaired a meeting with industry associations on the EU’s new regulation on deforestation prevention.
At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai, Chairman of the Association Coffee – Vietnamese cocoa said the new EU regulation on anti-deforestation obliges companies to ensure products sold in the European Union (EU) do not lead to deforestation and forest degradation.
Products covered by the new regulation include coffee, palm oil, soybeans, timber, cattle, cocoa, rubber (including derivative products that contain, are raised with or have been created from products produced on land derived from deforestation and forest degradation) after December 31, 2020 from countries into the EU. Products of the above group of goods, if related to deforestation, will be banned import into the EU.
The new regulation will introduce new mandatory requirements by the end of 2024. The official time for the implementation of the bill banning the import of items related to deforestation by European countries is not much, so Vietnam Nam must promote the dissemination and enforcement of the above regulation.
According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai, coffee is a commodity export to the EU in large and stable quantities, currently accounting for about 42% of Vietnam’s annual coffee export output.
In order to stabilize and not fluctuate the market share of coffee exports to the EU, Vietnam’s coffee industry needs to comply with the anti-deforestation and forest degradation regulations that have been approved by the European Council and come into effect from the 16th. May 2023.
Ms. Tran Thi Quynh Chi, Asia Landscape Director, Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), said that Vietnam currently has about 1.3 million coffee farmers, most of which are from 0 , 5 ha or less in 11 coffee growing provinces.
This number of areas is actually legal, not planted on land due to deforestation or forest degradation, but in fact, proving the origin according to regulations is not easy.
Ms. Quynh Chi proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, specialized agencies and companies to provide technical support data to build a database on forest protection monitoring and plantation data.
Concluding the meeting, Minister Le Minh Hoan said that EU regulations on anti-deforestation and forest degradation for agricultural production, including coffee, are both a challenge and an opportunity for us to on agricultural products, proving to the world that Vietnam really has green growth.
In addition, the requirements for traceability and transparency of the origin of agricultural products are indispensable from the market, including the EU market.
Minister Le Minh Hoan requested the Department of International Cooperation (MARD) to soon submit to the Minister an action framework to implement this EU regulation; suggested the Ministry’s advisory agencies to adjust the action framework, get opinions from associations and industries to soon have an implementation program in line with the new European regulations.
In the framework of action, it is necessary to promote communication so that the authorities and farmers understand the EU’s regulations on anti-deforestation and forest degradation when producing agricultural products, including coffee; clearly define the responsibilities of MARD, authorities at all levels and people to implement EU regulations.
“We have to change ourselves to build a brand and quality of agricultural products, including coffee products in particular,” emphasized Minister Le Minh Hoan.
