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Will the EU deforestation-free products regulation (EUDR) reduce tropical forest loss? Insights from three producer countries

Muradian, Roldan ; Cahyafitri, Raras ; Ferrando, Tomaso ; Grottera, Carolina ; Jardim-Wanderley, Luiz ; Krause, Torsten LU ; Kurniawan, Nanang I. ; Loft, Lasse ; Nurshafira, Tadzkia and Prabawati-Suwito, Debie , et al. (2025) In Ecological Economics 227.
Abstract

The European Union regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) represents a policy innovation with important implications for the governance of global commodity chains. We discuss the risks and limitations of this policy derived from an ex-ante assessment of the robustness of its theory of change. For doing so, we use insights from the literature on zero-deforestation commitments and other private standards in value chains and from trade and deforestation patterns in three relevant producer countries (Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia). Despite the potentially positive symbolic effect in mobilizing a global agenda for combating deforestation, the EUDR faces several drawbacks and risks associated with three of its constitutive... (More)

The European Union regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) represents a policy innovation with important implications for the governance of global commodity chains. We discuss the risks and limitations of this policy derived from an ex-ante assessment of the robustness of its theory of change. For doing so, we use insights from the literature on zero-deforestation commitments and other private standards in value chains and from trade and deforestation patterns in three relevant producer countries (Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia). Despite the potentially positive symbolic effect in mobilizing a global agenda for combating deforestation, the EUDR faces several drawbacks and risks associated with three of its constitutive features: To be demand-oriented, having the value chain as the unit of intervention and holding a high degree of unilateralism. We conclude that to be effective in curbing tropical deforestation, the Regulation must be complemented with international cooperation aiming to strengthen national policies with a territorial approach, as well as social movements addressing the underlying causes of forest loss and human rights violations in the territories where it takes place.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Biodiversity, Commodities, Deforestation-free, EUDR, European Union, Forests, Trade
in
Ecological Economics
volume
227
article number
108389
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85203653583
ISSN
0921-8009
DOI
10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108389
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7e61665c-ac19-4e7e-964d-5944b073d5ea
date added to LUP
2024-11-12 16:26:15
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:24:08
@article{7e61665c-ac19-4e7e-964d-5944b073d5ea,
  abstract     = {{<p>The European Union regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) represents a policy innovation with important implications for the governance of global commodity chains. We discuss the risks and limitations of this policy derived from an ex-ante assessment of the robustness of its theory of change. For doing so, we use insights from the literature on zero-deforestation commitments and other private standards in value chains and from trade and deforestation patterns in three relevant producer countries (Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia). Despite the potentially positive symbolic effect in mobilizing a global agenda for combating deforestation, the EUDR faces several drawbacks and risks associated with three of its constitutive features: To be demand-oriented, having the value chain as the unit of intervention and holding a high degree of unilateralism. We conclude that to be effective in curbing tropical deforestation, the Regulation must be complemented with international cooperation aiming to strengthen national policies with a territorial approach, as well as social movements addressing the underlying causes of forest loss and human rights violations in the territories where it takes place.</p>}},
  author       = {{Muradian, Roldan and Cahyafitri, Raras and Ferrando, Tomaso and Grottera, Carolina and Jardim-Wanderley, Luiz and Krause, Torsten and Kurniawan, Nanang I. and Loft, Lasse and Nurshafira, Tadzkia and Prabawati-Suwito, Debie and Prasongko, Diaz and Sanchez-Garcia, Paula A. and Schröter, Barbara and Vela-Almeida, Diana}},
  issn         = {{0921-8009}},
  keywords     = {{Biodiversity; Commodities; Deforestation-free; EUDR; European Union; Forests; Trade}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Ecological Economics}},
  title        = {{Will the EU deforestation-free products regulation (EUDR) reduce tropical forest loss? Insights from three producer countries}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108389}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108389}},
  volume       = {{227}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}