08 Jan 26 | Podcast
Have we been treating nature like a free factory?
Earthworm Foundation CEO Bastien Sachet reflects with Ian Welsh on why environmental and supply c...
With the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) deadline now extended by 12 months, businesses will gain extra time to prepare — but does this delay offer an advantage or merely prolong the uncertainty?
Who really benefits from the extra time, and which organisations will suffer losses for trying to get ahead? Will this extension ease the burden, or does it simply push the challenge further down the road? In this three-part webinar series, we cut through the noise and tackled these pressing questions. We heard from key experts representing brands, traders, farmers, NGOs and on-the-ground communities.
The EUDR Unpacked series was hosted in November and December 2024. Click here for the key highlights from the series.
The EUDR Unpacked series was hosted in November and December 2024. Click here for the key highlights from the series.
EUDR unpacked #1: a deep dive into the current landscape and implications of the regulation
November 7th 2-3pm CET
This webinar explored the implications of the amended timeline, which now sets the application date for December 30, 2025, for large operators, and June 30, 2026, for micro- and small enterprises. Join industry experts to understand the regulatory landscape, the steps needed to ensure compliance and the implications of the delay.
Panellists included:
- Dr Julian Oram, policy director, Mighty Earth
- Anastasiya Timoshyna, director of the European programme office, TRAFFIC
- Issifu Issaka, cocoa farmer, national president of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers Association
- Niels Wielaard, founder and CEO, Satelligence
EUDR unpacked #2: coffee and cocoa supply chains under the lens
December 12th 2-3.30pm CET
The likely postponement of the EUDR deadline offers coffee and cocoa supply chains more time to comply, but what do smallholder farmers think of this delay? This webinar examines the effects of the newly-proposed December 2025 and June 2026 deadlines, how the delay will affect cocoa and coffee supply chains and the potential win-win outcomes for people, profit and planet. This session will focus specifically on the impact of EUDR on coffee and cocoa supply chains, putting these sectors under the spotlight.
The likely postponement of the EUDR deadline offers coffee and cocoa supply chains more time to comply, but what do smallholder farmers think of this delay? This webinar examines the effects of the newly-proposed December 2025 and June 2026 deadlines, how the delay will affect cocoa and coffee supply chains and the potential win-win outcomes for people, profit and planet. This session will focus specifically on the impact of EUDR on coffee and cocoa supply chains, putting these sectors under the spotlight.
Panellists included:
- Raina Lang, senior director sustainable coffee, Conservation International
- Josephine Ndikwe, founding chairperson, Association of Women in Coffee
- Olivier Laboulle, global head of sustainability for coffee, Louis Dreyfus
- Antonie Fountain, managing director and co-founder, VOICE Network
- Julia Christian, forests and agriculture campaigner, Fern
- Miguel Gamboa, coffee sector lead, Rainforest Alliance
- Pomasi Ismail, council chairman, Cocoa Abrabopa Association (farmer representative)
EUDR unpacked #3: palm and soy plantations under the lens
December 17th 2-3.30pm CET
What are the ripple effects of the postponement on large-scale operations? In the third webinar in our 'EUDR unpacked' series, we cut through the noise to address critical questions surrounding the regulation. This session focused specifically on the impact of EUDR on palm oil and soy plantations, putting these sectors under the spotlight.
Panellists included:
What are the ripple effects of the postponement on large-scale operations? In the third webinar in our 'EUDR unpacked' series, we cut through the noise to address critical questions surrounding the regulation. This session focused specifically on the impact of EUDR on palm oil and soy plantations, putting these sectors under the spotlight.
Panellists included:
- Heleen Van Den Hombergh, senior policy advisor at IUCN NL, coordinator at Collaborative Soy Initiative
- Michelle Desilets, executive director, Orangutan Land Trust
- Mansuetus Darto, founder and national board, Indonesia's Palm Oil Smallholder Union (SPKS)
- Ruben Brunsveld, deputy director EMEA, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
- Susanne Fromwald, board member of The Collaborative Soy Initiative, general secretary of Donau Soja
- Wei Peng, global head of sustainability - grains & oilseeds, Louis Dreyfus Company
- Will Schreiber, representative of the Retail Soy Group, director of 3Keel
The discussion was moderated by Ian Welsh, publishing director of Innovation Forum.
Amsterdam
16th - 17th June 2026