The National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), JDE Peet’s, and Enveritas have jointly announced an agreement aimed at safeguarding Rwanda’s forests while ensuring continued access to European markets for smallholder coffee farmers in the nation.
The upcoming European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), effective December 2024, will prohibit the export of coffee cultivated on land deforested after 2020 to the EU. In response to this regulation, NAEB, JDE Peet’s, and Enveritas have committed to collaboratively addressing any coffee production that violates this new mandate.
“The new regulation presents Rwanda with a formidable challenge, and it’s imperative that we rise to meet it in the coming months,” stated Claude Bizimana, CEO of NAEB.
“Rwandan smallholder coffee farmers rely on the lucrative European market for their livelihoods, and it’s essential that we take action to safeguard their income. Enveritas’ innovative use of AI, coupled with on-the-ground verification, marks a significant breakthrough for coffee-producing nations like Rwanda, which have extensive coffee grower populations and intricate supply chains.”
Enveritas will leverage high-resolution satellite imagery, machine learning, and on-the-ground teams to verify compliance with the new regulation in Rwanda’s coffee industry, which comprises nearly 400,000 smallholder farmers.
In this, JDE Peet’s will collaborate with farmers and local partners to restore any land deforested for coffee farming purposes.
Through JDE Peet’s Enveritas countrywide solution, Rwanda’s coffee-producing land can be effectively managed and evaluated to ensure it remains free from deforestation.
“We are delighted to advance our deforestation mitigation efforts through this new agreement with Rwanda. Deforestation poses significant risks to the fundamental rights and livelihoods of local communities. We are dedicated to ongoing collaboration with our partners and governments to promote responsible coffee cultivation and safeguard the livelihoods of farmers,” stated Nadia Hoarau-Mwaura, Sustainability Director at JDE Peet’s.
