Peru

Context

Deforestation

Between 2002 and 2023 Peru lost more than 124,000 hectares of forest per year, accumulating a total of 2.62 million deforested hectares (almost the size of Belgium). Expansion due to small-scale agricultural and livestock activities is one of the main causes of deforestation and forest degradation in Peru.

Local Context

Around 40% of exports of Peruvian coffee and cocoa are bound for the European Union, reaching a record of 1,100 million dollars in 2024. However, limited access to markets, poor infrastructure and the presence of intermediaries reduce the producer’s profits. Problems persist such as rural poverty, lack of access to credit, inadequate technology, child labour, violations of indigenous rights and gender inequality.

Biodiversity

Peru ranks ninth in the world for largest forest area. It’s forests cover around 61% of it’s territory (71 million hectares, or nearly 2 times the size of Germany) and 94% of them are found in the Amazon.

Agriculture

95% of the production of coffee and cocoa in Peru comes from around 313,000 families of small-scale producers (90,000 of cocoa and 223,000 of coffee, approximately). 77% of the small-scale agriculture and between 32% and 39% of extensive livestock are causes of deforestation.

Decoupling Agriculture from Deforestation

Extensive agricultural practices, lack of land-use planning, the informal economy, the absence of oversight and commercial pressure driven by demand for agricultural products can encourage uncontrolled expansion and lead to forest destruction.

Approach

To promote a just transition toward sustainable, deforestation-free value chains in Peru -and to comply with the standards of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)- it is essential to strengthen public policies that support sustainable agricultural practices, formalize land tenure through agroforestry systems, provide access to services and markets for small-scale producers, and improve the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by facilitating access to international markets. For this, SAFE Peru cooperates with the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, the Ministry of Production. And the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. At the local level their actions are concentrated in the Amazon regions of Huánuco, Ucayali, Pasco and Junín. They also work with private sector stakeholders, especially with exporting companies and cooperatives.

Commodities SAFE is working on in Peru:

Approach

Commodities SAFE is working on in Peru:

Activities

Improved access to
services and financing
(national and local levels)

Policy and regulatory conditions are improved to facilitate access to information, services and financing, thereby promoting a transition toward sustainable and deforestation-free production

Communication and
knowledge management
(global level)

Support is provided for the dissemination of information about the EUDR, and the exchange of experiences and knowledge is encouraged among supply chain actors, policy experts, and civil society organizations at the regional level within the framework of the EUDR.

National framework for
EUDR compliance
(national and local levels)

Supply chains of coffee and cocoa are strengthened to guarantee compliance with the EUDR requirements.

Capacity building
(local level)

Small-scale producers are trained to sustainably manage their production systems and to better integrate into the coffee and cocoa supply chains.

SAFE Peru - Video playlist

3:09

1:15

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Video description

Video title

Dialogue and impressions from the central Amazon Rainforest on progress toward EUDR compliance in Peru .

Field visit with Ambassadors of the European Union, the Netherlands, and Germany, alongside the Vice Minister of Agricultural Policies of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation.

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