European due diligence legislation aims to make global supply chains more sustainable by tackling global deforestation and human rights abuses. For agricultural producers in Côte d’Ivoire, Colombia, and Ethiopia, engaging stakeholders and closing legal and technical gaps is key to enhancing access to the EU market.
FIT for FAIR – a flagship project of the Team Europe Initiative – is addressing this challenge head-on. In six countries the project is dedicated to establishing favourable legal and political conditions that support supply chain actors to comply with the EU and German due diligence legislation. By fostering multi-stakeholder engagement and providing technical backstopping for the development of policy recommendations and roadmaps, the initiative supports countries to turn regulatory requirements into opportunities for inclusive and sustainable development.
Côte d’Ivoire: From Dialogue to Roadmap
Côte d’Ivoire has become the second country, after Colombia, to complete the national stakeholder process. Since early 2024, FIT for FAIR has supported Côte d’Ivoire in facilitating a national multi-stakeholder dialogue. Led by the National Export Council (CNE) and supported by national and international experts, stakeholders from government, civil society, and the private sector evaluated the legal and policy environment related to living income, human and child rights, legality, traceability, and environmental and forest protection.
The process culminated in a set of policy recommendations and a roadmap to guide implementation.
This is not a constraint, but an opportunity to transform the economy, preserve forests, and promote sustainable development in Côte d'Ivoire.
To drive implementation of the roadmap forward, a Due Diligence Taskforce has been launched, bringing together key actors from both public institutions and the private sector.
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More InformationColombia: Roadmap Completed – Shifting towards Implementation
Colombia completed its FIT for FAIR process in March 2025, making it the first country to finalise the consultation and workshops. Led by Confecámaras, the initiative involved over 430 stakeholders across the coffee, cocoa, and palm oil sectors. Key outputs included a national due diligence model, a 2025–2030 roadmap, and a final report.
The follow-up phase will focus on facilitating the exchange between Colombian supply chain actors and European companies in order to commonly address challenges, fostering collaboration between both sides and create business opportunities.
Stakeholder Dialogues Underway: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Thailand, and Cambodia
Other countries are currently progressing through the FIT for FAIR process. In Ethiopia, FIT for FAIR is working with the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, with a final report expected by October 2025.
In Rwanda, Thailand, and Cambodia, legal and political analyses and multi-stakeholder workshops are identifying key gaps and policy recommendation to foster enabling conditions for due diligence implementation. Local hosts and national partners include the UNDP, the Rwandan National Agricultural Export Board, the Thailand Environment Institute, and EuroCham Cambodia.
Turning Dialogue into Action
Recurring challenges have been identified:
- Gaps in law enforcement and policy implementation.
- Lack of interoperability of traceability systems in key sectors.
- Limited access to tools, training, and knowledge for smallholders.
- Structural inequalities, especially regarding women’s land rights and wages.
These hurdles are now being addressed through the implementation of national recommendations and roadmaps. From the creation of taskforces to concrete follow-up planning, countries are moving from analysis to action.
With Côte d’Ivoire and Colombia having finalised their national processes, FIT for FAIR is not just about meeting due diligence requirements. While it supports the creation of favourable legal and political conditions that enable supply chain actors to comply with relevant EU and German due diligence legislation, it is about strengthening fair and sustainable agricultural supply chains through cooperation, inclusive dialogue, and the co-creation of enabling policy frameworks that benefit both local communities and the environment.
