THE EUDR COUNTDOWN: CAN SIERRA LEONE MEET EUROPE’S DEFORESTATION RULE BEFORE THE MARKET CLOSES?
On 31 December 2026, a new legal requirement will take effect across the European Union that could determine whether Sierra Leone continues exporting cocoa and coffee to one of its most important markets.
Under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), no forest-risk commodity may enter the EU unless exporters can demonstrate, through satellite-verifiable geolocation data that the produce was not cultivated on land deforested after 31 December 2026.
For Sierra Leone, where more than 200,000 smallholder farming families depend on cocoa and coffee production across Kailahun, Kenema, Kono, and other producing Districts, the regulation carries significant economic implications. The key question is whether the country can map and certify its supply chain before the deadline or risk losing access to a market that absorbs more than 70 per cent of national cocoa and coffee exports.
The Regulation and the Risk
Unlike tariffs or quotas, the EUDR is a due-diligence regulation. EU importers must submit a digital Due Diligence Statement for every shipment, including GPS polygon coordinates identifying the exact location of each farm plot. Without verified geolocation and traceability data, consignments may be denied entry into the European market.
Speaking to journalists in Freetown on 3 June 2026, Raymond Bob Katta, Executive Chairman of the Produce Monitoring Board, said the regulation fundamentally shifts the burden of proof to producing countries.
“This is not Europe punishing Africa. This is Europe demanding proof,” he said. “If we cannot provide GPS data and traceability, buyers will source from countries that can—Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Peru.”
According to PMB estimates, approximately 40,000 cocoa and coffee farms must be mapped and registered before December 2026. Failure to meet that target could place downward pressure on farm-gate prices, reduce foreign exchange earnings and weaken efforts to position Sierra Leone’s Coffea stenophylla coffee as a premium product on the international market through the International African Coffee Organization.
Progress to Date
The Produce Monitoring Board, with support from the European Forest Institute (EFI), has completed a pilot phase involving the mapping of 163 cocoa farms across Kenema, Kailahun and Kono using GPS-enabled smartphones capable of operating offline. The methodology has been validated against satellite imagery, demonstrating the feasibility of a national-scale traceability program.
Katta said the pilot demonstrated that PMB possesses the institutional capacity required for national Geo-location upscale to meet the EUDR requirements.
“PMB has the institutional capacity to deliver this program. The technology is available, the methodology has been tested, and the framework is in place. The challenge is scale. We need to move from 163 farms to 40,000 farms in less than seven months,” he said.
Industry benchmarks estimate the cost of mapping a single farm is about USD 73, depending on terrain and accessibility. As part of its EUDR readiness effort, PMB is trying to scale up from 163 farms to 40,000 farms suing a staggard approach, which is why it just this week sent a project proposal document to the Ministry of Finance to fund its geolocation and traceability efforts.
Compliance Beyond Mapping
The EUDR extends beyond farm geolocation. Exporters must also demonstrate that production is legal, free from deforestation and compliant with applicable human rights standards, including the prohibition of child labour.
Meeting these requirements will necessitate a substantial improvement in record-keeping and documentation across a supply chain that remains largely informal.
PMB has identified four core compliance pillars: geolocation of all farms, due diligence documentation, end-to-end traceability from farm to export point, and risk assessment for each consignment. Any weakness within the chain may result in a produce being classified as high risk and therefore ineligible for the EU market.
The Strategic Response
To meet the deadline, PMB is proposing a national EUDR Readiness Plan built around three strategic priorities:
National Farm Registry: Establishment of a centralized database linking cocoa and coffee farms to GPS coordinates and relevant national identification systems.
Public-Private Investment: Shared financing arrangements involving exporters, buyers and government, supported by targeted incentives for companies achieving full traceability compliance.
Mass Education Campaign: Nationwide awareness programs in Krio, Mende and Temne to ensure farmers understand that geolocation data is now as important to market access as quality and productivity.
“This must be treated as a national economic priority, not a donor project,” Katta said. “Countries that comply will gain a competitive advantage. Europe will pay a premium for verified, deforestation-free cocoa. Sierra Leone can secure that premium, but only through immediate and coordinated action.”
Countdown to Compliance
With less than seven months remaining before the 30 December 2026 deadline, PMB warns that every month of delay leaves thousands of farms unmapped and export earnings increasingly vulnerable.
The Board has called on government to designate EUDR readiness as a national priority, urged development partners to co-invest in farm mapping efforts and encouraged exporters to accelerate farmer registration and data collection.
The regulation is fixed. Whether Sierra Leone is ready will depend on decisions taken over the next seven months.
For a country where agriculture provides livelihoods for more than 60 per cent of the population, the EUDR deadline represents both a significant compliance challenge and an opportunity to modernize one of Sierra Leone’s most important export industries.
