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Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains

Technical Facility

The Technical Facility on Deforestation-free Value Chains, managed by the European Forest Institute (EFI), collaborates with commodity-producing countries to assist in transitioning to legal and deforestation-free value chains, in line with the EU Deforestation Regulation’s (EUDR) market requirements.

It provides technical expertise to country stakeholders and supports the development and implementation of inclusive tools, frameworks and processes. Value chains in the Facility’s scope include cocoa, coffee, rubber, palm oil, soy and cattle. 

The Facility aims to provide a flexible and rapid response to country stakeholders’ policy and technical needs, in close collaboration with other EU initiatives and programmes.

Key Activities

Policy Support

Facilitating informed dialogues between the EU and producing countries.
Promoting multi-stakeholder dialogues and ensuring the inclusion of smallholders.
Knowledge and experiences to inform policy and practices at national, EU and international levels.

Technical Support

Developing robust, credible and transparent systems for tracking commodities.
Clarifying legal and regulatory frameworks and means of verification.
Strengthening national information systems and data availability.
Analysing value chain dynamics and supporting incentive mechanisms.

Operational Approach

Demand-driven

Activities structured around priorities set with EU Delegations, DG INTPA and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), based on commodity-producing country needs and demands.

Flexible expertise

Offering specialised and tailor-made knowledge and solutions with a broad set of stakeholders and value chain actors.

Global reach

Operating in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, focusing on commodities like coffee, cocoa, rubber, palm oil, soy, and cattle.

Smallholder focus

Ensuring the role of smallholder farmers is recognised and supported in the transition to sustainable practices.

Publications

Guidelines for Harmonised VHR-Based Data Collection for GeoAI Applications in Perennial Crop Mapping for Historical Reference Years

This document provides methodological guidance for the collection of high-quality reference data through visual interpretation of very high resolution (VHR) imagery to support supervised classification of remotely sensed data for…

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Geolocation and the EU Deforestation Regulation

This report provides a concise overview of geolocation requirements under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which mandates that high-risk commodities entering or leaving the EU are deforestation-free and legally produced….
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Due Diligence in practice: Insights from EUDR preparedness exercise in the coffee sector

The EU Competent Authorities of Belgium and France and a Belgian operator in the coffee sector conducted an EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) preparedness exercise, facilitated by the European Forest Institute…
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Preparedness check of Sri Lanka for the EU Deforestation Regulation

The report “Preparedness check of Sri Lanka for the EU Deforestation Regulation” (European Forest Institute, 2025) assesses Sri Lanka’s readiness to comply with the EUDR for rubber exports….
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Technical support

Offering analysis, technical assistance and facilitation support on issues related to legality, traceability, deforestation risk monitoring, trade and incentives, and smallholder inclusion

Inclusive approaches

Working with governments, civil society and private sector in commodity-producing and consuming countries.

Multi-stakeholder approaches

Promoting inclusive dialogues and the development of inclusive, technical solutions.

Flexible and versatile

Providing in-house technical expertise through EFI staff based in Europe and partner countries, combined with service contracts and grants with external partners.

Partners

The Technical Facility is managed by the European Forest Institute.

Learn more

The Technical Facility is funded by the European Union and the Agence Française de Développement. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the funding organisations.

Last updated on: March 2026

Region:

Luwero, Nakaseke, Kassanda, Mubende, Bukomansimbi, Kyotera, Omoro, and Nwoya

Target group:

Smallholder farmers, traders, state and non state actors, and processors

Key activities:
  • Capacity building of smallholder coffee farmers in production practices and sustainable land use management.
  • Establishing traceability system and facilitating access to sustainable financing 
  • Facilitate inclusive business partnerships between producer organizations and supply chain actors​ 
  • Promote multi-stakeholder cooperation​ 
Commodities:
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Region:

Huánuco, Ucayali, Pasco and Junín

Target group:

Public and private stakeholders, especially exporting companies, cooperatives and smallholder producers

Key activities:
  • Strengthen the supply chains to meet EUDR requirements 
  • Facilitate access to sustainable finance and knowledge exchange
  • Training of smallholders to sustainable manage their production systems 
Commodities:
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_Coffee
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Region:

Ngozi and Kayanza 

Target group:

Smallholders

Key activities:
  • Training on the use of traceability tools and support on collection of geolocation data for EUDR compliance 
  • Support the development of a national coffee sector dashboard for traceability and transparency
  • Capacity building of smallholder coffee farmers in production practices and sustainable land use management.​ 
Commodities:
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Region:

Centre, South West, Littoral, South, East and West regions

Target group:

Smallholder farmers, women, youth, and indigenous peoples

Key activities:
  • Develop inclusive business partnerships with the private sector 
  • Facilitate access to finance for sustainable business models 
  • Support and train farmers in open-source traceability systems 
  • Promote multistakeholder dialogues to improve legal and regulatory provisions 
Commodities:
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_Cocoa.svg
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Region:

(Lower) Kafue Catchment Ecosystem

Target group:

Farmers and community forest management groups

Key activities:
  • Support community forest management groups in the
    sustainable management of natural resources and livelihood creation
  • Support farmers to produce soy in line with the EUDR and increase productivity, and implement transparency and traceability pilots
Commodities:
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Region:

Lampung, West Kalimantan, and Central Sulawesi

Target group:

Smallholder farmers, private sector, and civil society organizations along the value chains

Key activities:
  • Empowering Smallholder Farmers and Farmer Organizations by facilitating traceability and legality, building capacity on Good Agriculture Practices (GAP), and strengthening farmer organizations, ensuring inclusive support for both men and women farmers.
  • Promoting sustainable practices and collaboration by supporting village HCV/HCS conservation efforts, testing and strengthening the National Dashboard for traceability and legality, and fostering national and regional exchanges.
Commodities:
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_Cocoa.svg
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_PalmOil.svg
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Region:

Son La, Gia Lai ​​

Target group:

Smallholder farmers and marginalized groups

Key activities:
  • Support coffee value chain actors
  • Foster deforestation-free, sustainable, and legal supply chains
Commodities:
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Region:

Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, Salonga National Park North, Salonga National Park South, Virunga National Park, Kahuzi-Biéga National Park​

Target group:

Public and private sector

Key activities:
  • Promote sustainable agricultural practices
  • Minimize forest degradation
  • Prevent deforestation
Commodities:
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_NaturalRubber
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_Cocoa.svg
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Region:

Provinces of Orellana and Sucumbíos

Target group:

Smallholder farmers, women, indigenous people and youth

Key activities:
  • Promoting Multi Stakeholder Dialogues
  • Improving traceabilty systems
Commodities:
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_Cocoa.svg
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_Coffee.svg
SAFE_commodities_graphics_Green_PalmOil.svg
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Region:

Xingu territory, State of Pará

Target group:

Family farmers

Key activities:
  • Improve market access, value creation, and access to sustainable finance
  • Integrate farmers into traceability systems
Commodities:
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Global activities
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