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Looking at this and considering the status of labels, Another aspect to consider is the demarcation of
particularly in the context of coffee as a commodity, the land in question—whether it is recorded and desig- COUNTRY 2020 2021 2022
India seems to be in a relatively safer position currently. nated as farm or agricultural land, or if it is classified as IN TONNES % OF TOTAL IN TONNES % OF TOTAL IN TONNES % OF TOTAL
Technically, the new regulations should not significant- forest land. This distinction determines whether certain
ly affect us; if anything, they might even have a slightly tree cutting activities are permitted or not. Nearly all BRAZIL 932,311 33.7% 1,033,105 37.1% 1,041,696 35.3%
positive impact, as stated by a representative from a coffee farms in India are technically situated in agro-for- VIETNAM 632,499 22.8% 533,059 19.1% 648,005 22.8%
trading company in South India. est land, meaning that coffee has been grown as agricul- UGANDA 165,860 6.0% 212,289 7.6% 214,649 7.3%
He further emphasizes that there are a few interre- ture under conditions resembling forests. HONDURAS 216,405 7.8% 191,085 6.9% 158,430 5.4%
lated factors to consider here: The fact that our coffees are cultivated in such
forest-like conditions has historically not been advanta- INDIA 108,194 3.9% 122,506 4.4% 151,471 5.1%
· The regulation specifically addresses deforesta- geous, as it has resulted in lower yields and longer mat- COLOMBIA 96,358 3.5% 84,618 3.0% 130,285 4.4%
tion that has occurred post-2020. uration periods. However, this new regulation might PERU 153,632 5.6% 142,211 5.1% 124,278 4.2%
· It pertains to the deforestation of forests. actually benefit us. If there are countries from which INDONESIA 77,376 2.8% 85,941 3.1% 102,152 3.5%
imports are restricted, it could mean increased opportu-
Another farmer from South India notes that India nities to sell more coffee. ETHIOPIA 77,427 2.8% 83,113 3.0% 92,474 3.1%
has been a coffee-growing nation for a significant period. A representative from a trading company added that NICARAGUA 42,695 1.5% 41,924 1.5% 38,170 1.3%
This includes the fact that many people have been en- one of the persistent challenges with the regulation is TANZANIA
gaged in coffee farming since the time of British rule ensuring compliance. Fulfilling these requirements, such 30,628 1.1% 40,182 1.4% 35,496 1.2%
(and even earlier in some cases). Most of the coffee as location mapping of the areas from which coffees are GUATEMALA 27,851 1.0% 33,079 1.1% 31,442 1.1%
estates were passed down to current growers, particu- sourced into the EU, may pose difficulties due to lower
larly around the time of Indian Independence. In terms connectivity and increased expenses, especially for small MEXICO 30,172 1.1% 27,776 1.0% 25,533 0.9%
of coffee-growing land, there hasn’t been much expan- and medium-sized farms. The government would need PAPUA NEW GUINEA 17,102 0.6% 19,912 0.7% 21,725 0.7%
sion, especially not since 2020. to play a significant role in assisting with these compli- CHINA 19,954 0.7% 14,808 0.5% 21,106 0.7%
ances. This includes accurately demarcating land use for KENYA 21,311 0.8% 15,951 0.6% 20,056 0.7%
agro-farming, agriculture, and forest purposes. This not
only helps understand land use and activities but also COTE D’IVOIRE 25,910 0.9% 13,195 0.5% 13,163 0.4%
tracks changes in forest land over time. CAMEROON 15,808 0.6% 15,286 0.5% 9,734 0.3%
A farmer from the southeast of the country express- COSTA RICA 11,234 0.4% 13,276 0.5% 9,373 0.3%
es concern that while India is currently not on the list,
regulations could change or certifications could be al- EL SALVADOR 6,733 0.2% 6,969 0.3% 8,802 0.3%
tered, potentially resulting in our country being labeled OTHERS 58,473 2.2% 54,111 1.9% 49,654 1.7%
as high risk for deforestation. For farmers like them who
may struggle with proper mapping or meeting certifica-
tion criteria, this could mean being unable to sell coffee EU27 TOTAL
(EXCL.INTRA-EU)
outside of relying on local aggregators. 2,767,880 100.0% 2,784,374 100.0% 2,947,693 100.0%
Such a scenario could lead to larger farms purchas-
*SourceğEurostat
ing coffee from smaller ones to trade in areas with
stricter regulations. The certification would validate their
produce, but the traceability of the coffee would only
exist on paper, potentially exploiting smaller farms. THE CHALLENGE LIES IN
Now if we look at the regulations and the countries
that are on the high-risk rankings under deforestation
along with the chart presented above, the statistics will
change a lot, something that will affect a lot of families WHOM THIS REGULATION
and people, both in a positive and negative way. Will it
also bring about a change in the prices based on the
AFFECTS, AS THIS WILL
demand and supply? We do not know yet.

DETERMINE THE REACTIONS.

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