ESRA 2024

Tracing the Journey of Cacao and the Impact of EUDR

This post was written by Sydney Moser, a recipient of the 2024 European Summer Research Award and Contemporary European Studies major.

“Da dove viene il cacao?” is the most common question I have received in the last 6 weeks. Down a narrow street in the UNESCO world heritage site of Ragusa Ibla, working in the store of a Sicilian chocolatier, I walk clients through a selection of Siciliano 90%, limone, and arancia chocolate samples. Customers from across the EU all want to know the same thing: where is this cacao from? I explain our sourcing location in Peru and some customers question further. A better response might include “sta cambiando”. It is changing, and the matter of “how” cacao sourcing is changing has brought me from the Baroque Triangle in Sicily to the Berlaymont building in Brussels.

Introduction to EUDR and my work

I desired to combine my work with ChocoHouse, a Sicilian chocolatier encompassing an international sales presence, in the summer of 2024 in Italy with investigation into European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) implications on the cocoa supply chain with my European Summer Research Award. In 2023, the EUDR was passed as a method for the European Union to decrease contribution to deforestation by targeting sourcing of 7 key consumer products, including cocoa, to construct supply chains that are deforestation free. With full implementation occurring in December 2024, this summer was a pivotal time for sourcers and businesses to create partnerships that align with the EU’s sustainability goals, and the ESRA allowed me to explore how chocolatiers, the European Commission and trade organizations are aligning to fulfill goals set within the EUDR.

Brussels EUDR Review

Visiting Brussels during my time abroad, I spoke with officials from the European Commission and the European Parliament about EUDR results and implementation within source countries and businesses. I learned of tools businesses can use to comply with the regulation, and of the challenges that still need to be faced.

Implementation in Cacao Industry

Visiting EU chocolatiers, I was met with surprises in conversations about the EUDR. Chocolatiers and cacao sourcing companies are both listed as operators under the EUDR, meaning they both must fulfill physical traceability (land plots of cocoa), legality (products aligned with local legislation), and validation of products as deforestation free after Dec 31st, 2020, if sold into international markets. There was a discrepancy in knowledge of the regulation between sourcers and chocolatiers, which could create fees, products banned and discarded on the international market.

Key Findings

My 2024 ESRA research journey was a fantastic opportunity to gain insight into navigating the complexities of partnerships for the EUDR to facilitate sustainable impact in the cocoa industry. I learned of the methods and new technologies that companies and source countries are building off of to advance the sustainability goals set, while navigating challenges in communication, supply chains, and transparency. I am very grateful for the support provided by the ESRA grant, the Center for European Studies, the Department of Romance Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, and all individuals who made this possible.

The ESRA is funded by generous donations from Betsy Blackwell and John Watson.