Fairtrade International gains grants targeting EUDR implementation in supply chains

Fairtrade International has been awarded a European Union grant to assist its key supply chain partners including cocoa farming communities to prepare for delivering on EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) goals, writes Neill Barston.

The organisation, which works with more than 1,000 small and medium sized enterprises within the region, has identified the core need for companies to gain as much support as possible to prepare for the landmark legislation delivering enhanced environmental protections.

However, as previously reported by Confectionery Production, it has suffered a year-long delay in implementation following political and industrial lobbying to push back on its deadlines, which had intended to set the scheme in motion for the beginning of 2025, which will now happen from the start of next year.

Notably, the organisation’s sister operation, the Fairtrade Foundation, is set to be represented at our upcoming World Confectionery Conference in Brussels on 11 September. (You can register for this year’s event, which features keynotes from Ferrero, Caobisco trade association and Luker Chocolate via the following web link.).

As previously reported, the EUDR frameworks are linked to wider due diligence operating transparency legislation on delivering greater human rights protection for farmers and other actors within supply chains, which is also facing the prospect of delays going through the European Commission – which recently released national ‘risk ratings’ for the regulations rating low, medium or high probability of issues within each country’s sourcing arrangements.

The scale of the grant has been confirmed as €1million from the EU Commission, with the total cost of the project being €1.1 million that Fairtrade has contribute to, and it has anticipated that the initiative will prove significantly beneficial to its supply chains adoption of further best practices in relation to the EUDR scheme.

Moreover, as Fairtrade noted, its latest project is known as  “Life Fairthrive’: Empowering Businesses to Thrive Fairly Under the EUDR,” officially began at the start of this month and is to run for the next 36 months. The grant is funded by the LIFE Programme, the European Union’s funding arm for environmental and climate action initiatives.  

As the social justice movement noted, the delayed EUDR will be in play from the end of December 2025, with a later date of 30 June 2026 for micro and small enterprises. The regulation’s aim is to ensure products sold in the EU are not linked to deforestation.

“This grant and the project that it will fund will assist companies in EU member states, but it will also contribute to fairer, greener, and more resilient supply chains, while supporting the objectives of the European Green Deal,” said Andreas Kratz, Fairtrade International’s Director Global Products, Programs & Policy and Director Standards & Pricing. 

In addition to the capacity building activities that will offer practical training, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, as well as ongoing technical support to help operators integrate EUDR requirements into their operations.

Notably, the group is also placing an emphasis on also offering producer organisations on geolocation data and deforestation monitoring data, as well as conducting risk assessments and implementing risk mitigation, which sit at the heart of the new legislation frameworks’ implementation.

Among its core areas of focus will be creation of sector-specific, multilingual training content and guidance materials for operators affected by the EUDR. This includes simplifying EUDR compliance requirements into actionable steps, incorporating practical case studies, and fostering supply chain transparency. The materials will be translated into nine EU languages.

In addition, the organisation will foster knowledge sharing and collaboration by participating in industry events and organising webinars and workshops across sectors affected by EUDR. The goal is to enhance sector-specific understanding and promote practical implementation strategies. 

It will also pilot existing traceability tools and sharing of best practices to optimise compliance across sectors, with Fairtrade International serving as  the project’s coordinator across its offices in Germany, Max Havelaar France, Fairtrade Belgium, Fairtrade Italy, and Fairtrade Finland, which includes the Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) Centre of Excellence. 

The project’s impact, however, will expand beyond these offices. Fairtrade Belgium will work closely with Fairtrade Netherlands and Luxembourg to engage companies in those markets. Meanwhile Fairtrade Germany will coordinate with Fairtrade Austria to cover activities in Austria. 

Similarly, Max Havelaar France will collaborate with Fairtrade Ibérica to reach SMEs in the Spanish market. And through Fairtrade Finland, SMEs in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will also  benefit from the project.

Beyond these regional partnerships, Fairtrade’s extensive EU network, which includes national organisations in Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, and marketing organisations in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia will also benefit.

All project materials, tools, and insights will be shared with these organisations to help them disseminate resources to their partners and stakeholders, further amplifying the project’s impact across the EU.

Fairtrade has and continues to be active in its support to supply chain stakeholders’ deforestation and EUDR readiness. The Fairtrade Standards have built-in forest protection requirements that meet or go beyond what is required in the EUDR regulation.