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Quick summary: Learn how coffee roasters can easily comply with EUDR by adopting traceability systems, risk assessments, and sustainable sourcing practices. Get expert tips to ensure deforestation-free supply chains and meet global regulatory standards.
Coffee Roasters can comply with EUDR by implementing traceability systems that ensure their coffee beans are sourced from deforestation-free regions. They must collect and verify geo-location data, maintain documentation on land-use legality, and perform risk assessments for each supplier. By using digital traceability platforms, Coffee Roasters can track the entire journey of their beans from farm to final product, providing the necessary Due Diligence Statement (DDS) for customs clearance. This ensures full compliance with EUDR regulations, reduces risks, and builds consumer trust in sustainable sourcing practices.
Coffee is responsible for 7% of deforestation driven by the EU.
As sustainability and environmental responsibility become increasingly critical, coffee roasters are now under pressure to prove that their supply chains are deforestation-free. The EU, one of the world’s largest coffee markets, is tightening regulations to encourage sustainable sourcing. For coffee roasters, this means they must ensure full transparency regarding land use in the coffee-producing regions. Without compliance, coffee roasters risk facing reputational damage, supply chain disruptions, and financial penalties. EUDR compliance ensures that coffee roasters maintain access to the EU market while meeting the growing demand for ethically sourced products.
To comply with EUDR, coffee roasters need reliable traceability tools and supply chain management platforms. These digital tools enable roasters to track and document the entire journey of their coffee beans—from the farm where they were grown to the point of sale. Using geo-location data, blockchain technology, and real-time monitoring systems, roasters can ensure that their coffee beans are sourced sustainably and deforestation-free, meeting the stringent requirements set by the EU. These tools not only help maintain compliance but also build trust with consumers who prioritize sustainable sourcing.
Key Takeaways
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The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), implemented in June 2023, aims to tackle deforestation and forest degradation caused by the consumption of certain commodities within the EU.
The regulation focuses on seven key commodities and their derived products: viz. Cattle, Cocoa, Coffee, Palm oil, Soy, Wood and Rubber. This means a wide range of products fall under the EUDR, including leather, meat, chocolate, coffee beans, soybeans, palm oil, tires, furniture, paper, and more.
0901 Coffee, whether or not roasted or decaffeinated; coffee husks and skins; coffee substitutes containing coffee in any proportion.
Ready to ensure your coffee supply chain meets EUDR standards?
Discover how to achieve EUDR compliance in your coffee sourcing and stay ahead of regulations with our expert insights and actionable tips.
Concerned about deforestation risks in your supply chain?
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By meeting EUDR requirements, coffee roasters not only comply with the regulation but also embrace a future-focused, sustainable approach that enhances both their operational efficiency and brand value. The shift toward sustainable sourcing is an opportunity for coffee roasters to lead in an increasingly eco-conscious market.
Complying with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a multi-step process for coffee roasters, requiring meticulous attention to detail and seamless integration of technology. Below are the key compliance steps, along with unique content angles and points of view that emphasize efficiency, sustainability, and operational advantages for coffee roasters.
Coffee roasters must map their entire supply chain, starting from the coffee farm and tracing each batch of beans to the final roastery. This involves collecting data on the origin of the beans, including geo-location data (e.g., GeoJSON coordinates) to prove that the coffee was sourced from deforestation-free regions.
Coffee roasters are required to maintain comprehensive documentation that proves the legality and deforestation-free status of the land where the coffee is grown. This includes land use legality evidence, geo-coordinates, and deforestation risk assessments.
To track the coffee journey from farm to roastery, roasters must implement traceability systems like blockchain, QR codes, and digital platforms. These systems ensure that each batch of coffee can be tracked in real-time, providing verifiable and transparent data on the product’s origin, journey, and sustainability credentials.
Effective collaboration with coffee suppliers is critical. Roasters must work closely with their suppliers to ensure they are collecting and providing accurate data on the origins of the beans, as well as the sustainability and legal status of the land used for coffee cultivation. This includes engaging with suppliers to ensure they understand the importance of EUDR compliance and collecting the required documentation.
To comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation, coffee roasters must ensure end-to-end transparency and traceability in their supply chains. From mapping origins to maintaining detailed due diligence documentation, implementing digital traceability platforms, and collaborating effectively with suppliers, these steps will ensure that coffee roasters meet regulatory requirements and thrive in an increasingly sustainability-driven market. By embracing these compliance measures, coffee roasters will position themselves as leaders in sustainable sourcing, earning consumer trust and regulatory approval.
Most coffee roasters rely on intermediaries, exporters, and cooperatives. Rarely do they know the exact farm where their beans originated—let alone the GPS coordinates required by the EUDR.
A specialty coffee roaster in Germany buys Colombian beans labeled “single origin.” Under EUDR, they now need precise farm GPS coordinates—not just “Colombia” or “Antioquia” but the actual plot of land. The cooperative doesn’t have digital farm records, leaving the roaster scrambling to backtrack supply chain records they’ve never seen.
Smallholder farmers, especially in regions like Ethiopia or Vietnam, don’t have GPS tools or digital farm maps. Getting this data is time-consuming and costly.
A UK roaster sourcing from 200 small farmers in Ethiopia realizes most don’t even have smartphones. How do they collect geolocation polygons and check for deforestation since 2020? Manually visiting farms is impractical, and relying on farmer declarations is risky.
Roasters typically track supplier information on spreadsheets or basic software not built for EUDR’s complex reporting. Compliance becomes a resource drain, pulling staff away from core operations.
A medium-sized Italian roastery spends weeks manually requesting supplier certificates, attempting to check deforestation via free satellite maps like Google Earth (which lacks updates). One missed record risks the entire shipment being rejected at EU ports.
Roasters often buy from traders who themselves source from multiple cooperatives. Without visibility into who the traders buy from, risk assessment is nearly impossible.
A Belgian roaster buys green beans from a Vietnamese trader, only to learn later that part of the lot came from a high-risk deforestation zone. The entire consignment now faces scrutiny, and the trader shrugs off responsibility.
Smaller roasters worry about the cost of tech platforms, audits, certifications, and expert consultants. For every dollar spent on sourcing, more is now being allocated to “compliance overhead.”
A craft coffee roaster importing 50 tons of specialty beans annually estimates new EUDR costs—geo-data collection, third-party audits, tech setup. Passing this cost to consumers risks pricing their coffee out of the premium market.
Smallholders may resist data collection, fearing land seizure or misuse of data. Language barriers make explaining EUDR and gathering consent harder.
Roasters sourcing from indigenous farmer groups in Peru find that suppliers refuse to share location data, worried it could lead to government scrutiny or loss of land rights.
Many roasters assume EUDR compliance is a one-off task. In reality, the regulation requires continuous monitoring, dynamic risk assessments, and updated due diligence with every shipment.
An EU roaster realizes too late that their “certified” Brazilian supplier cleared more forest for expansion last year. The old due diligence file is no longer valid—risking fines and contract loss.
Tracking coffee beans back to hundreds of small farms scattered across remote hills is overwhelming if you’re stuck with spreadsheets and emails. Digital traceability platforms change the game.
They allow roasters to map every batch of beans to the farm it came from, capture GPS coordinates, and store proof of compliance—all in one place. No more digging through piles of paperwork when an EU buyer asks, “Can you prove this coffee is deforestation-free?” You pull up the record in seconds.
The real struggle? Smallholder farmers often don’t understand what EUDR compliance even means. That’s where better onboarding makes the difference.
Roasters should:
You can’t visit every farm, but satellites can. Satellite tools and platforms scan satellite images to detect deforestation risks—real-time.
Instead of guessing which farms are in danger zones, roasters get a clear picture of where they need to dig deeper or run audits.
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Think of a dashboard that pulls all this together—traceability data, supplier risk scores, audit statuses—in one real-time view.
No more waiting for monthly reports or scrambling last minute before exports. You know exactly where you stand, which suppliers need attention, and how ready you are for an EU inspection.
EUDR compliance isn’t about more paperwork—it’s about smarter, digital supply chain management.
Coffee roasters who embrace these tools won’t just survive EUDR… they’ll win premium contracts, charge higher prices, and build stronger, more ethical supply chains.
Isn’t that the kind of legacy every great coffee deserves?
The TraceX EUDR AI platform is a powerful tool that helps coffee roasters comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by streamlining supply chain management, improving traceability, and ensuring deforestation-free sourcing. Here’s how the platform specifically benefits coffee roasters:
TraceX provides a digital traceability solution that tracks coffee beans from the farm to the final roastery. Through real-time data, the platform captures geo-coordinates of the farms where the beans are grown, ensuring full transparency regarding their origin. This is essential for EUDR compliance, as it helps prove that coffee beans are sourced from deforestation-free regions and land that has been legally cleared.
The platform leverages AI-powered automation to conduct risk assessments and due diligence on each supplier. It analyzes data on the land-use history, checking for potential deforestation risks. TraceX also helps automatically generate the Due Diligence Statement (DDS) that roasters must submit for customs clearance. By streamlining these processes, TraceX ensures coffee roasters meet EUDR requirements without delays or errors.
TraceX facilitates smooth collaboration between coffee roasters and their suppliers by creating a centralized platform where all stakeholders can access and update essential compliance data. Coffee roasters can easily monitor supplier performance, ensuring that they are providing the necessary documentation, such as certifications, land-use legality proof, and geo-location data. This collaboration ensures that suppliers adhere to EUDR regulations and that roasters can maintain a sustainable and transparent supply chain.
TraceX integrates blockchain technology to provide immutable records of the entire coffee supply chain. Each stage—from farm to roastery—is recorded, ensuring that the data cannot be tampered with. This secure, transparent documentation is vital for EUDR compliance, offering auditability and confidence to regulatory bodies and consumers. Coffee roasters can use these blockchain records to prove compliance during inspections and audits.
With real-time monitoring, TraceX allows coffee roasters to receive alerts if any part of their supply chain fails to meet compliance standards. Whether it’s an issue with deforestation risk, missing documentation, or supply chain disruptions, the system notifies roasters instantly, enabling them to take quick action and resolve issues proactively.
The platform provides sustainability dashboards that allow coffee roasters to track their sustainable sourcing efforts in real time. The platform aggregates data on key metrics like deforestation-free sourcing, supply chain carbon footprints, and compliance with EUDR regulations. These reports help roasters not only comply with regulations but also enhance their brand reputation by showcasing their commitment to sustainable practices.
As coffee roasters scale their operations and expand their supplier networks, the solution offers the scalability required to manage increasing volumes of data, suppliers, and regions. The platform’s flexible design allows roasters to onboard new suppliers quickly while maintaining compliance, making it easier to expand sustainably in global markets.
As EUDR compliance becomes an increasing priority for coffee roasters, integrating traceability, sustainable sourcing practices, and supplier collaboration into your operations is essential. By adopting digital platforms that ensure deforestation-free sourcing, providing geo-location data, and conducting regular risk assessments, coffee roasters can streamline compliance, reduce operational risks, and build greater consumer trust. The path to compliance may seem complex, but the right tools and resources can help simplify the process and position your business for long-term success in a sustainability-driven market.
Ready to streamline your EUDR compliance?
Learn how the EUDR system works and discover the essential steps to ensure your business stays compliant with the latest regulations.
Unsure about EUDR Due Diligence requirements?
Explore our comprehensive guide on EUDR due diligence and get the step-by-step process to ensure your coffee sourcing is fully compliant.
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Coffee roasters can prove compliance by tracking coffee origins, documenting land-use legality, providing geo-coordinates, and submitting a Due Diligence Statement (DDS). Digital platforms with traceability features can simplify this process.
The main challenges include obtaining accurate geolocation data, ensuring supplier transparency, managing risk assessments effectively, and maintaining documentation to meet EUDR deadlines.
Technology, such as traceability platforms, blockchain, and real-time monitoring systems, helps coffee roasters easily track the supply chain, maintain accurate records, and manage risk assessments, making EUDR compliance more efficient and reliable.
