News in brief:
– Food industry leaders are requesting more time to implement new EU rules aimed at reducing carbon emissions and deforestation from supply chains of key commodities.
– They argue that the EU’s delayed finalisation of rule details and expressed concerns that it could fail to deliver desired environmental benefits.
The food industry is calling for more time to implement new EU rules to cut carbon emissions from the supply chains of several key commodities.
These rules will require companies to prove that their goods have not been sourced on recently deforested land. They will come into force at the end of 2024, and will affect commodities like palm oil, coffee, cocoa, beef, soy, and rubber.
The food industry leaders argue that the EU has left it too late to finalise the details of the rules, as crops for 2024-25 are already being planted. For example, the EU has not yet finalised a list of ‘high-risk’ countries whose exported commodities will be subject to extra checks.
Nathalie Lecocq, director-general of Fediol, the EU’s vegetable oil trade group, told FT that it is not enough for the union to come up with guidelines in December 2024.
The industry is also concerned that the rules will fail to deliver environmental benefits. They argue that it is too complex and will be difficult to enforce. Additionally, they say that the rules will unfairly target developing countries, where deforestation is a major problem.
Meanwhile, the EU has defended the rules, saying that they are necessary to protect forests and reduce carbon emissions. It added that it will work with the industry captains to help them implement the rules.
