[WLRC, November 2025] – The Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC) held a focused discussion with private sector coffee operators to exchange insights on the European Union Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) and explore ways to align private sector initiatives with the Traceability Systems and Landscape Approaches for Sustainable Coffee Trade: Capturing and Reclaiming Value in the Global South (CARE for Value and Sustainability) project. The meeting took place on November 3, 2025, at the WLRC Meeting Hall in Addis Ababa.
The event aimed to enhance understanding of the challenges, readiness, and opportunities within Ethiopia’s coffee sector as it adapts to the new EUDR requirements. The regulation mandates that coffee and other commodities entering the EU market must be deforestation-free and fully traceable throughout their supply chains.
Participants included representatives from major private coffee exporters such as Volcafe, Walter Matter, and an Ethiopian exporter, along with experts from WLRC, the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), and the Ethiopian Forest Development (EFD). Discussions centered on identifying common priorities and developing practical collaboration mechanisms to strengthen traceability, sustainability, and value retention in Ethiopia’s coffee value chain.
Project partners presented key tools and innovations developed under the CARE for Value and Sustainability project, including a mobile application, a digital traceability system, and GIS-based data platforms. These tools are designed to support transparent and verifiable coffee sourcing by enhancing data collection from value chain actors and providing accurate information on the origins and sustainability credentials of coffee exported to international markets.
Private sector representatives welcomed the initiative and commended the project team’s technical capabilities. They underscored that while Ethiopia’s coffee sector remains vital to the national economy, it faces ongoing challenges across the value chain that affect both domestic performance and international competitiveness. Participants emphasized the need for stronger coordination among producers, exporters, and regulatory bodies to ensure effective compliance with the EUDR. They also highlighted that traceability systems must be both practical and inclusive, taking into account the realities faced by smallholder farmers, unions, and cooperatives.
WLRC and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration with the private sector to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of Ethiopian coffee value chain supply. The session concluded with a shared recognition that collective action, data transparency, and system-based innovation will be essential to ensure that Ethiopian coffee remains compliant and competitive in an evolving global market.