[WLRC Bonga, 2025]: Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC), in collaboration with Ethiopian Forest Development (EFD) and the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA), organized a training and consultative workshop on “Traceability Systems and Landscape Approaches for Sustainable Coffee Trade: Capturing and Reclaiming Value in the Global South (CARE for Value and Sustainability)” project. The training workshop conducted at Coffee Land Hotel, Bonga, Southwest Ethiopia Region on 25 & 26 March 2025 brought together key stakeholders in coffee production to discuss European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) compliance and sustainability.
The primary objective of the workshop was to bring together individuals and groups with vested interest in coffee production, with a special focus on aligning with EUDR standards. Dr. Yigardu Mulatu, lead researcher at EFD and the member of the CARE Project, in her welcoming speech highlighted the key goals of the workshop, including information sharing, feedback collection, consensus building, problem identification, capacity development, and strengthening collaboration for decision-making support. The discussions centered on “Deforestation and degradation free natural forest management and sustainable coffee production standards”.
The event was officially opened by Ato Lemma Gebremichael, Head of the Southwest Ethiopia Region Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Bureau. Lemma described the EUDR as both an opportunity and an alarm, emphasizing the need to balance environmental conservation with coffee production quality to meet international standards. He also acknowledged Kaffa Zone’s rich history in conserving natural forest and semi-forest areas but noted that production demands are increasingly prioritized over conservation. He expressed optimism that the CARE Project, piloted in Decha Woreda, would address existing gaps and reinforce sustainable practices to maintain the prestige of Kaffa Coffee in the global market. He encouraged stakeholders to actively engage in the project to align with EUDR requirements and maintain the reputation of Ethiopia’s organic coffee.
During the workshop, various presentations were delivered, covering themes such as forest coffee production and marketing. The discussions focused on the experience of cooperative unions, coffee production systems, value chains, and their compatibility with the EUDR. Another theme explored forest conservation and management, addressing the region’s forest development policies, Participatory Forest Management (PFM), and conservation arrangements. The regulatory landscape was also a key focus, with presentations covering the fundamental aspects of the EUDR and its implications for coffee producers and exporters. Additionally, the workshop highlighted technological solutions for sustainability, including software innovations for value chain traceability and geolocation applications in coffee production and marketing.
The workshop featured engaging presentations, discussions, and focus group sessions, allowing participants to explore best practices and challenges related to coffee trade and environmental conservation. More than 50 participants from the South West Ethiopia Region, Kaffa Zone, Decha Woreda, and Participatory Forest Management (PFM) Associations took part in the event.
The CARE for Value and Sustainability Project is a three-year initiative (2024–2027) funded by the Swiss Development and Cooperation through its Solution-Oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) Programme. The project is implemented by a consortium that includes WLRC, the Center for Development and Environment at the University of Bern (CDE), Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD), and the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA).