Navigating EUDR together
Sourcing crops responsibly is – and has been for ages – fundamental to how we run our supply chains. But never has responsible sourcing been more in the spotlight than today, as we start the countdown to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) deadline of December 30, 2024.
The EUDR is the European Union’s new regulation to curb the EU market's impact on global deforestation and forest degradation. It sets clear responsibilities for companies to ensure the protection of forests. It is important to state that Cargill is fully aligned with the objectives of the EUDR legislation.
Across the industry, a lot of ink and broadcast minutes has gone into explaining the what and the why of the legislation – ensuring that relevant supply chains are deforestation free.
Amid all the ambiguity that the EU guidelines still present at this late stage, we have focused on shaping the how so that we can continue to build the trust in our supply chains that we are known for by our customers and suppliers.
We recognize that a “practical” approach is the only way to ensure that sufficient volumes are imported into Europe and that smallholders in origin countries are not disadvantaged. That’s why Cargill is engaged at all levels and across multiple commodities in advocating for a workable solution for the industry. In this way we can help ensure that we don’t reach a stage where checks are blindly repeated and the weakest points in the flows not addressed.
As we are active in multiple parts of the supply chain (from origin countries to processing, transport and marketing of the finished ingredient), we think it’s important to find a truly integrated solution that involves our industry partners:
- We are working with industry associations to voice joint recommendations to the European Commission.
- Cargill has gone through the implementation of a due diligence management system and the supporting data and technology platforms to ensure that we will be compliant with EUDR.
- In parallel, we are partnering with technical experts to accelerate our ability to trace our supply chains for our direct and indirect suppliers.
We know how important EUDR compliance is to you and we want to give you clear, unambiguous information. Once the EU Commission publishes the latest update on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ3) and its Guidance document, we will provide you with more details on our concrete approach for a solid due diligence. We commit to delivering the information you require to ascertain that Cargill has an appropriate due diligence system in place.