Proactively overcoming the EUDR "barrier".

Complying with the European Union's Anti-Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is considered a "vital" requirement for Dak Lak's coffee industry in the 2025-2026 crop year. Instead of passively waiting, the province has taken decisive action, directing relevant agencies and localities to accelerate the transparency of information, viewing this not only as a "barrier" to overcome but also as an opportunity to restructure the industry towards sustainability.

Báo Đắk Lắk•05/11/2025

The new coffee crop season begins amidst favorable market prices, but also faces increasingly stringent requirements from importing countries. The biggest of these is the EUDR, expected to be implemented soon. This regulation prohibits the import of goods, including coffee, if they originate from areas that have experienced deforestation or forest degradation after December 31, 2020. This mandatory requirement places significant pressure on an industry where 90% of production is carried out by small-scale household farms, such as in Dak Lak province .

However, thanks to the province's proactive approach and pioneering actions from businesses and cooperatives, Dak Lak's coffee industry is firmly consolidating its position as the "coffee capital" in the international market. A prime example is Simexco Daklak, the first company in Vietnam and the world to receive two 4C-EUDR certifications from the 4C Association, covering a total area of 9,437 hectares. This achievement demonstrates that Dak Lak coffee can fully meet the most stringent standards when there is close cooperation between businesses and farmers.

Not only large enterprises, but also cooperatives are proactively implementing solutions to meet EUDR requirements. For example, the Cu Sue 2-9 Sustainable Agriculture Cooperative (Quang Phu commune), despite being established only in 2021 with 169 participating households (including 95 ethnic minority households), has identified product traceability as a vital requirement in the context of global economic integration.

Drying specialty coffee beans at a business in the province.

Mr. Dang Dau Thanh, Director of the Cu Sue 2-9 Sustainable Agriculture Cooperative, said that the cooperative has 175 hectares, with an average annual yield of about 210 tons of peanut kernels. With the support of partners (IDH, JDE Peets, Simexco Daklak) and the local government, the cooperative has conducted surveys and collected information for 100% of its members. Key data such as GPS location points, orchard information, and farm information have all been fully collected and are ready to meet the EUDR requirements.

According to Ms. Phan Thi Van, Director of the IDH Vietnam Coffee Program, IDH is implementing a sustainable landscape coffee program in Dak Lak on a scale of 94,432 hectares, focusing on responsible production, reducing emissions, and meeting new European market standards such as EUDR and CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive).

To date, the program has achieved many remarkable results: 153,000 farmers have had their sustainable production capacity enhanced; 74 forest cover management models have been implemented; 168 commitments to forest protection have been made; 1.5 million coffee trees have been replanted and 580,000 intercropped plants have been supported. In addition, 18 cooperatives and 20 agricultural service teams have been established, and thousands of soil and coffee bean samples have been analyzed to control chemical residue.

With the participation of large enterprises such as Simexco Daklak, Dakman Intimex, Sucden Coffee, Nedspices, and Chanh Thu, along with technical support from IDH and JDE Peets, the landscape approach model is gradually being replicated, aiming for the goal of "green coffee - green livelihood" for farmers in Dak Lak in particular and the Central Highlands in general.

The 2025-2026 coffee crop year can be seen as a year of transformation. Although the EUDR regulations are a barrier, they are pushing the Dak Lak coffee industry in the right direction: responsible production, transparent traceability, and sustainable development.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung, the national risk classification list published by the European Commission (EC) places Vietnam in the "low risk" category. However, this does not change the legal obligations of Vietnamese exporters; businesses must still fully comply with all EUDR requirements. Currently, the EC is considering postponing the application of the EUDR for another year (until December 30, 2026). This extension creates an important "buffer," giving Vietnamese coffee businesses more time to review their supply chains, invest in traceability technology, and strengthen their EUDR compliance capacity. To meet EUDR requirements, businesses need to closely monitor growing areas, produce sustainably certified coffee, build digital maps, and establish traceability down to individual farms. The solution is to build a database of growing areas linked to forest maps. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is committed to promptly developing and issuing a "Guideline for Compliance with EUDR Regulations" for the coffee industry, to be implemented by localities, businesses, and all stakeholders involved in the export chain to the European market.

In Dak Lak – the "coffee capital" of the country – adapting to the EUDR (European Union for Forest Development) is identified as a top priority. The province plans to implement measures to meet the requirements for approximately 150,000 hectares. The province will continue to coordinate with the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, along with organizations, especially IDH (Industrial Development and Forestry), and businesses to further build a database related to forestry planning; conduct awareness campaigns and mobilization efforts; and take action against households encroaching on forests to plant coffee.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202511/chu-dong-vuot-rao-can-eudr-981008a/