Botswana exporters risk losing access to lucrative European markets unless they can prove compliance with the EU’s stringent deforestation rules across their supply chains.
BONGANI MALUNGA
Botswana risks being shut out of critical European markets unless it invests in compliance with the European Union’s deforestation regulations, Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA) vice president Rabecca Silolezya has warned.
Market Access
Speaking at the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) International Conference in Gaborone last week, Silolezya said businesses and governments needed to treat the regulations as a market-access issue rather than simply an environmental requirement.
She said the regulation seeks to ensure products entering the EU trade bloc are not linked to activities that have contributed to deforestation, placing pressure on exporters to demonstrate that their supply chains meet the bloc’s requirements.
Compliance Pressure
“If we do not invest in this agenda, we could be excluded from critical markets,” Silolezya said.
Her warning highlights growing pressure on Botswana to align its production and export systems with increasingly stringent environmental standards in major international markets. Exporters may be required to provide evidence that commodities and their supply chains are not associated with deforestation.
Regional Response
Silolezya’s remarks come as Botswana and Namibia are already exploring ways to respond to the regulations. Earlier this month, Minister of Lands and Agriculture Dr Edwin Dikoloti told Parliament that Botswana and Namibia were working to “maneuver around” the EU anti-deforestation regulations or find a solution that would allow their exports to continue accessing the European market.
Trade Stakes
Silolezya underlined the need for Botswana and other African countries to prepare for changing global trade rules, warning that failure to comply could have consequences beyond environmental concerns. For Botswana, she stressed, environmental compliance is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for market access, investment and competitiveness in global trade.