A Comparative Analysis of the Prospective Impacts of the Eu's Deforestation Regulation on Cocoa and Timber Supply Chains in Cameroon

13 Pages Posted: 13 Jan 2024

See all articles by Chloe TANKAM

Chloe TANKAM

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Guillaume Lescuyer

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Abstract

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which came into force in June 2023, could provide the leverage that deforestation-free supply chains still lack. It aims to massify demand for zero-deforestation products by imposing a due diligence procedure on companies that place any of the products mentioned in the EUDR on the EU market, or export from it. The effective application of these regulations will depend on the characteristics of the targeted supply chains in the producer countries. Three criteria are used to anticipate the capacity of the supply chains to cope with the regulation’s requirements: the additionality of the regulation, the chain’s compliance with the EUDR and the risk of leakage effects. These criteria are broken down into indicators and substantiated by statistical and documentary data, in order to estimate the prospective effects of the EUDR on the cocoa and timber supply chains in Cameroon. The regulation is expected to have a limited impact on deforestation in these supply chains due to factors related to product characteristics, sector dynamics (particularly the relative significance of European markets compared to domestic/regional and Asian markets), and certain critical elements within the text, such as definitions that jeopardize specific forest ecosystems. Moreover, it focuses on eliminating the risk of deforestation within sectors rather than at the territorial level. If the EUDR is to be effective in combating deforestation, it needs to go through a thorough consultation process with the producer countries and provide support to smallholders so as to help them meet the requirements.

Keywords: Deforestation-free supply chainsEuropean regulationEnabling factorsCongo basin

Suggested Citation

TANKAM, Chloe and Lescuyer, Guillaume, A Comparative Analysis of the Prospective Impacts of the Eu's Deforestation Regulation on Cocoa and Timber Supply Chains in Cameroon. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4693451 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4693451

Chloe TANKAM (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

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Guillaume Lescuyer

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

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