On 19 November 2025, the French Pavilion at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, hosted a high-level side event: “Building partnerships and solutions for deforestation-free value chains.” Organised by the European Forest Institute (EFI) on behalf of the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Deforestation-free Value Chains, the event brought together senior representatives from the EU, partner countries, the private sector, and civil society to share progress, challenges, and opportunities in the global fight against deforestation.
Bringing together key actors across the public sector, private sector, and civil society, the event featured the active participation of Anthony Agotha, EU Ambassador for Climate and Environment; Eva Kracht, Director General for International and European Policy, Ministry of Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Elena Pita, Director General of the Spanish Office for Climate Change of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Spain; Philippe Depredurand, Deputy Director for International Action, Ministry of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature, France; Carlos Ynga, Director of Economic Studies, Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation, Peru; and Colonel Ynsa Traoré, Advisor to the Minister of Water and Forests, Côte d’Ivoire.
Contributions also came from Marcos Matos, Executive Director of CeCafé; Nathalie Alquier, Chief Sustainability Officer at Danone; and Silas Siakor, Director of Liberia’s Sustainable Development Institute. Matthieu Le Grix, Head of Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity at the French Development Agency (AFD), provided closing remarks, while the discussion was moderated by Edwin Gaarder, Trade and Traceability Expert at EFI.
Forests at the heart of the Climate Agenda
Forests are critical for people and the planet, supporting 1.6 billion livelihoods and playing a vital role in climate stability and biodiversity. Yet, the growing demand for agricultural commodities continues to drive deforestation and forest degradation. The EU, as a major consumer, recognises its responsibility and is committed to halting and reversing forest loss by 2030.
We need to continue building partnerships across the demand and supply side in agricultural commodities trade, to ensure that agriculture can go hand in hand with forest protection.” He highlighted that: “This is the only way forward to achieve our common goal to halt and reverse deforestation and forest-degradation by 2030.”
Two years of impact: TEI’s progress since COP28
Two years after its announcement at COP28 in Sharm El Sheikh, the TEI is demonstrating real impact. It now drives co-created solutions, structured policy dialogue, and knowledge sharing to support a just and effective transition towards legal and deforestation-free value chains. With over EUR 85 million mobilised and partnerships established with more than 35 producer countries across six value chains, the initiative is helping shape policy frameworks that incentivise forest protection, reduce supply-chain risks, and attract or de-risk sustainable investments.
The panelists confirmed that market competitiveness and environmental protection go hand in hand. Sustainable, deforestation-free and legal value chains are quickly becoming the global norm, supported by regulatory momentum such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Producer-country actors—farmers, traders, governments—are increasingly investing in improved production practices, stronger traceability, and compliance systems. These efforts not only open doors to premium markets but also help safeguard ecosystems and enhance long-term resilience.
It’s clear that protecting forests and promoting agricultural trade are not contradictory objectives; they are part of the same equation to ensure well-being, resilience, and sustainable markets.
Showcasing progress and partnerships
The event highlighted how the TEI promotes policy frameworks, risk management tools, and investment mechanisms that empower farmers and smallholders but who require support, including access to information, legal clarity, practical tools, and ongoing guidance, as emphasised during Ynga’s speech.
Building on this, Marcos Matos, Executive Director of CeCafé, highlighted the critical role of smallholder farmers in the coffee supply chain. He noted that sustainability requirements such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) have boosted European demand for high-value coffee from Brazil—from 17% of total imports to 30%—a shift that has translated directly into higher incomes for farmers
As a major economy and consumer of commodities, the EU recognises its responsibility in global deforestation and forest degradation, as well as its duty to help end it. It is essential that EU countries lead by example by strengthening sustainable value chains and committing to support producer countries in their transition to deforestation-free production models.
Perspectives from producer countries reinforced the importance of partnership. Colonel Ynsa Traoré pointed to the fruitful collaboration between Côte d’Ivoire and the EU to ensure sustainable cocoa and timber production and trade, particularly through the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative and the FLEGT-VPA process.
From the private sector, Nathalie Alquier, Chief Sustainability Officer at Danone, called for immediate implementation of the EUDR, with no further delay. She stressed that ending deforestation and degradation strengthens supply chain resilience and paves the way for sustainable growth. Alquier noted however the scale and complexity of the transition, often requiring years of sustained effort.
Adding a global perspective, Silas Siakor, Director of Liberia’s Sustainable Development Institute and Goldman Environmental Prize Winner, urged stronger partnerships and collaboration to support smaller countries like Liberia in building sustainable supply chains. He reminded participants that combined forest cover in smaller nations represents a significant global resource, making their inclusion vital.
Working on responsible supply chains to protect forest is a paramount paradigm shift, that has created a real momentum, breaking silos between environmental and agricultural policies.” He concluded: “Investing in transparency, traceability, legality of agricultural and forestry supply chains is profitable. Beyond complying with specific regulations, efforts for enhancing sustainability of agricultural supply chains bring many benefits to communities and nature.
Accelerating the transition
Several concrete pathways emerged during the discussion:
- Technological solutions for assessing deforestation risks, mapping farmers, and enabling traceability are now more widely available, affordable, and often open source. Producer and consumer countries must jointly identify which tools work for both sides and engage the private sector to scale them up.
- A just transition is essential. Smallholders—often the most vulnerable actors—face high risks of exclusion under new global standards. Ensuring their continued market access, strengthening their capacities, and improving access to finance will be critical. Multi-stakeholder platforms can help ensure everyone is heard and solutions are jointly owned.
- South-South collaboration and knowledge exchange can accelerate the spread of pre-competitive, scalable solutions across countries and sectors.
Key takeaways
- Partnerships are essential: Success depends on collaboration among governments, the private sector, civil society, and especially smallholders and producer organisations.
- Data and digital tools: Innovations like geolocation and traceability apps, and interoperable databases are empowering producers and improving policy targeting.
- Legal clarity and risk management: Clear guidelines and roles help all actors in the value chain comply with new regulations and market demands.
- Scaling up and aligning efforts: The Team Europe Initiative on Deforestation-free Value Chains is fostering global alignment and multi-stakeholder cooperation, reinforcing political and private-sector commitment to deforestation-free value chains.
Looking ahead
Legal, deforestation-free and sustainable value chains go far beyond regulatory compliance. They rely onstrong leadership from producer-country and consumer-country governments, coordinated EU technical assistance, and sustained partnerships with the private sector and civil society.
As we move forward, the TEI side event’s discussion reinforces that collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility are the foundation for truly sustainable and deforestation-free value chains. The TEI will continue to be a platform where these efforts converge and grow—helping guide the way to a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future for forests and the communities that depend on them.
