On 30 December 2026, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will start to apply to large and medium enterprises, and six months later to micro and small operators.    

Risk mitigation under Article 11 will be a key element of the Regulation's implementation. So far, the public debate has been dominated by political uncertainty over the Regulation's timeline, scope and stringent traceability and legality requirements. The substance of how the risk of deforestation should be mitigated on the ground has received comparatively little attention and has not been included in official EUDR guidance. 

As a coalition of organisations focused on ensuring that the EUDR works for smallholders, we have prepared this briefing to start that conversation. It builds on the AidEnvironment / Sangga Bumi Lestari Practical Guide for Risk Mitigation Measures for Forests and People under the EUDR (2026), which provides risk mitigation options.

Our aim is to give policy recommendations for companies preparing for EUDR application, the Competent Authorities (CAs) that will check companies’ due diligence systems and the European Commission.

Read the full Briefing Paper here. 

Signatories:

• Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement 
• Communauté et Développement Durable (CODED)
• Coffee Watch
• Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO)
• Fairtrade International
• Fern
• Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP)
• Green Development Advocates (GDA)
• INADES Formation Côte d'Ivoire
• Initiatives pour le Développement communautaire et la conservation de la Forêt (IDEF)
• Oxfam 
• Plateforme Ivoirienne pour le Cacao Durable (PICD)
• Rainforest Alliance
• Solidaridad
• Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS)
• Vocal Coffee Alliance
• Voice Cocoa Network

For more information, please reach out to our International and Institutional Relations Manager, Virginia Enssle at enssle@fairtrade-advocacy.org