• (Ecofin Agency) - A Yaounde workshop reviewed EUDR implications for cocoa and small producers
• Forest losses since 2020 reached about 782,800 hectares, or 4.2% of coverage
• Cocoa expansion and weak traceability remain key challenges ahead of 2026

A strategic workshop and political dialog on the implications of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) for the cocoa sector and small producers was held on January 28–29 in Yaounde. The event was organized by the Centre for Environment and Development (CED) in partnership with the platform Making Europe Work for People and Forests.

Discussions focused on the scale of recent forest losses and Cameroon’s ability to meet the traceability and sustainability requirements expected by key markets, particularly in Europe. At the EU level, the implementation timetable for the regulation has been postponed, with entry into force now scheduled for late 2026.

The report Cameroon on the brink: Cocoa’s New Deforestation Frontier, published by NGO Mighty Earth in July 2025, shows that RADD satellite alerts recorded 782,797 hectares of forest loss since 2020, equivalent to about 4.2% of the country’s forest cover. The report also notes that a significant share of this loss is concentrated in cocoa-producing areas, driven by land pressure and low farm incomes.

Agriculture remains one of the drivers of land conversion, with cocoa often cited alongside oil palm, rubber, coffee, and cotton. The report nevertheless highlights logging as a major factor in forest degradation, with farmers subsequently settling in cleared areas, particularly to establish cocoa farms.

Field studies presented during the workshop were also discussed. In the Ntui area of Grand Mbam, the expansion of cocoa plantations reportedly led to the conversion of about 4,600 hectares of forest over a decade, with 64% located in areas classified as forest, underscoring tensions between agricultural expansion, land regulation, and conservation.

In response, Cameroon adopted a Roadmap for deforestation-free cocoa in January 2021, signed by the state, the private sector, partners, and civil society. Mapping initiatives and efforts to strengthen plantation traceability have also been launched, notably through sustainability programs supported by international partners.

Amina Malloum, Business in Cameroon