EUDR Extended Deadlines: KOLTIVA Urges Early Action for Latin American Exporters

BOGOTA, Colombia - Dec. 5, 2024 - PRLog -- Deforestation, driven by commercial agriculture, threatens ecosystems and accelerates climate change. Latin America, responsible for 44% of global tropical deforestation, faces pressure to comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to maintain market access and avoid penalties or reputational damage. Exporters of key commodities like coffee, cocoa, soy, beef, and rubber must meet rigorous standards by 2025–2026, with compliance being both an environmental and business necessity. As major suppliers to the EU, countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Peru must address supply chain transparency to sustain their critical export roles.

At KOLTIVA's recent webinar, Beyond Traceability Talks, CEO and Co-Founder Manfred Borer highlighted the obstacles faced by Latin American businesses. "Infrastructure limitations, technological barriers, and the high cost of compliance make it challenging for many Latin America Exporters like Cooperatives & SMEs to provide verifiable data about product origins," he noted. "A strategic balance between economic viability and environmental responsibility is essential."

Latin American exporters struggle with limited supply chain transparency due to outdated, inconsistent data collection methods, complicating EUDR compliance. The complexity of risk assessment and preparing Due Diligence Statements (DDS) poses additional challenges, especially for SMEs that often lack the resources and expertise to navigate these stringent requirements independently.

To help navigate these challenges, KOLTIVA's Senior Head of Markets Latin America, Silvan Ziegler, explained, "At KOLTIVA, we work closely with clients who are committed to implementing sustainable solutions, even when financing them independently. For smaller companies and cooperatives, we adjust costs and collaborate with international organizations to support the establishment of sustainable systems. This tailored approach ensures that businesses of all sizes can implement the necessary measures to remain compliant and sustainable."

KOLTIVA's modular solutions—KoltiTrace, KoltiSkills, and KoltiVerify—ensure EU compliance, offering dashboards like EUDR Compliance for visualizing metrics such as non-compliant hectares, plots, and producers. With real-time data from users and field agents, businesses can enhance transparency, sustainability, and compliance efforts.

The Supply Chain Linkage Dashboard provides detailed producer compliance insights, breaking down metrics like Deforested Status and Spatial Legality to polygon levels. Businesses can identify non-compliant farmers, investigate cases using farmer and polygon data, and address issues effectively to enhance EUDR compliance and drive meaningful change.

The Transaction Traceability EUDR Dashboard tracks compliance metrics, including transactions, producers, and contributed weight, helping businesses analyze trends and ensure supply chain adherence to EUDR regulations.

Learn more about the actionable strategies to achieve compliance and drive sustainable agricultural practices across Latin America. Watch the on demand webinar at https://www.koltiva.com/beyondtraceability-talks?utm_sour....