- EU’s Deforestation Regulation to become effective on 1st January 2025
- Regulation requires evidence that the product did not harm forests and biodiversity
- Industry players believe the move could prove disastrous for beef trade
BONGANI MALUNGA
Botswana’s future in exporting beef to the European Union will hinge on demonstrating that the product did not contribute to deforestation practices and loss of biodiversity.
The EU has formulated the Deforestation Regulation that will be effective from 1 January 2025. The soon-to-be-enforced directive is aimed at guaranteeing that products entering the EU market do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation.
The EU believes that deforestation is driven by expansion of agricultural land that produces cattle, wood, cocoa and many other products. Beef, as one of the commodities linked to deforestation, is a product of cattle farming which usually requires land expansion.
Expansion
The expansion often requires clearing of land whereby trees are cut and set on fire to make adequate space. Deforestation also leads to carbon emissions that go against the EU’s eco-friendly approach.
If Botswana cannot demonstrate that its beef production had no direct links to practices that go against the EU’s new regulation, the country could face an EU trade ban.
According to the EU, Botswana exports 9000 tonnes of beef to the EU and currently enjoys preferential market access to the region. Botswana is able to export beef to the EU duty-free and quota-free.
Geolocations
According to the EU regulation, Botswana will be required to submit geolocations of the land where the cattle were grazing and raised. In its latest update, the EU has revealed that it gave partnering countries and businesses 18 months to ensure that they comply with the regulation by the end of 2024.
Industry players such as Namibia and the United States have raised concerns about the EU regulation. The US Meat Export Federation has spoken out against the move in July this year as it believes the new requirement will make the EU a complex market to enter.
On the EU radar
According to The Namibian Observer, Namibia echoed similar sentiments and seeing the regulation as a big threat to the country’s beef and charcoal exports. The Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) holds that the EU regulation puts Namibia on the EU radar for being regarded as a standard risk.
Namibia also has a 400-tonne export quota with Botswana and Eswatini to export beef to Norway.