EU Deforestation Rules: Cameroon Checks Exporters’ Readiness, Seeks Better Returns for Farmers

Cameroon has moved to assess cocoa exporters and processors individually as it seeks to preserve access to the European Union market while pushing for farmers to receive better returns for meeting sustainability requirements. Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana met about 20 exporters and processors in Yaounde on August 25, about four months before the European Union Deforestation Regulation, or EUDR, begins applying to large and medium-sized operators.

The consultation, organized by the Cocoa and Coffee Interprofessional Council, CICC, examined each operator’s level of preparedness, outstanding difficulties and possible responses. The government said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that Cameroonian cocoa continues entering the European market during the 2026/2027 season. According to the Ministry of Trade, the meeting marked a shift from broad national preparations to assessing whether individual exporters and processors are ready to meet the EU’s traceability, legality and deforestation requirements.

Government Puts Traceability Coverage at 99%

The government said Cameroon began preparing for the requirements at least five years ago through measures covering sustainability, legality, traceability and the fight against deforestation in the cocoa and coffee sectors. These measures, officials said, include the identification of producers and geolocation of farms, which provide the technical basis for tracing cocoa supplied to the European market.

Mbarga Atangana said the country’s preparations predated the approaching implementation deadline. “We have been working on sustainability, deforestation, traceability and legality issues for at least five years,” the minister said.

According to the Ministry of Trade, a forum held on July 15, 2025, reported that geolocation and traceability systems covered close to 99% of Cameroon’s cocoa- and coffee-producing areas. The ministry said further assessments were conducted during the Cocoa Days held in Yaounde from July 1 to 3, 2026, and another forum on August 5 and 6.

The latest consultation focused on identifying any remaining compliance gaps among businesses responsible for processing and moving cocoa into export markets. Mbarga Atangana said Cameroon now had the instruments needed to support compliance with the European regulation. He added that the rules had helped bring actors across the value chain onto the same timetable. “We are ready, absolutely ready, categorically ready,” Mbarga Atangana said.

The ministry said maintaining access to the EU is a central concern for the 2026/2027 season. Exporters will be required to demonstrate that cocoa entering the market meets the regulation’s conditions, placing traceability systems and operator-level compliance at the center of trade.

Government Seeks Reward for Compliance

Beyond securing market access, the government is also seeking higher returns for farmers whose production meets the new requirements. Compliance involves investments and operational changes linked to producer identification, farm mapping, traceability, legality and forest protection. The government wants these efforts to be reflected in the prices paid along the cocoa supply chain.

“The only thing we expect and hope for, naturally, is that there will be something in return. That return must come through the price offered by the market, rewarding responsible practices and rewarding the work,” Mbarga Atangana said.

The government’s position links EUDR preparation to two objectives: keeping Cameroonian cocoa in the European market and seeking better remuneration for producers. The latest assessment is intended to identify remaining compliance gaps among exporters and processors before the new requirements begin applying.

Mercy Fosoh