Coffee and deforestation: Europe's rules change from 30 December (and what it means for your cup)

In eight weeks, on 30 December 2026, the EUDR, the EU regulation against deforestation, starts to apply in Europe. It covers coffee too: anyone placing it on the European market will have to prove it doesn't come from land deforested after 31 December 2020. It sounds like something for customs offices, and partly it is. But it also has to do with the cup you drink at breakfast, and we'll explain it without the bureaucratese.

What happens on 30 December

Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 covers seven commodities: cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, wood, rubber and cattle. According to the European Commission (press release of 13 July 2026), the rules apply from 30 December 2026 to large and medium-sized operators, and from 30 June 2027 to most micro and small businesses. The same dates are confirmed by Daily Coffee News (7 October 2026), and Coffee Geography (30 October 2026) points out that the end-of-December deadline still stands.

In practice, for every shipment of coffee you need to know which plots it comes from and be able to prove that no forest was cleared there after 2020. In the same July package the Commission also added soluble coffee to the regulation, which will be covered from 30 December 2027, and simplified the declarations for small primary producers.

The sticking point for smallholders

Coffee is grown mostly by families with a few hectares, not by large companies. And that's where the rule gets complicated. An IISD report covered by Daily Coffee News surveyed 333 farmers and producer groups in 16 countries: 79% of coffee growers fear that stricter rules will push farmers towards less regulated markets. The authors themselves warn that the sample isn't statistically representative, but the signal is there: mapping every field costs time and money, and for a family with two hectares that's no joke.

What changes in your cup

In the short term, probably not much: the coffee you buy in January has already arrived or is in transit. Over time, though, traceability becomes the norm for everyone, no longer something only a few can boast about. And that's a real step forward: knowing where coffee comes from, who grew it and at what altitude also means understanding better what you're drinking.

In the speciality world this information is already on the bag: country, region, variety, process, altitude. If you're not sure how to read it, our guide on how to read a speciality coffee label will help. Two minutes, and your next bag will tell you much more.

In brief

• Arabica on a rollercoaster. On 19 October the December arabica contract in New York closed at 315.70 US cents per pound, the highest level since late August (Comunicaffè, The Rio Times). Ten days later, on 29 October, it had already dropped to around 283.50 cents (Trading Economics).
• Italian SCA championships: the season heats up. From 21 to 23 October Triestespresso Expo hosted the northern round of the SCA Italy qualifiers for Barista, Latte Art, Coffee in Good Spirits and Brewers Cup (Comunicaffè). According to the calendar, Roasting has rounds on 4–5 and 25–26 November in Sant'Agostino (Ferrara) and the South competes in Catanzaro from 14 to 17 November (Coffee Today). The finals are at SIGEP World, Rimini, from 23 to 27 January 2027. If you're wondering what happens on those stages, here's how the 2026 World Barista Championship went.
• An espresso at the bar. According to June 2026 data from MIMIT's price observatory, in most of the 19 cities analysed an espresso at the bar costs between €1.20 and €1.40 (Comunicaffè, 1 October 2026).

In the cup this week

Since we're talking about Brazil and knowing where coffee comes from, we suggest Brazil San Rafael Natural: Cerrado Mineiro, between 800 and 1,300 metres, Catuai and Mundo Novo varieties, natural process. In the cup, raisin, nuts, cocoa and dark chocolate, with low acidity and a soft body. It's at its best as espresso and works brilliantly in a moka pot too. We roast it after you order: let it rest at least 15 days for espresso and 5 for moka pot (here we explain why freshly roasted coffee needs to rest). Taste it.

Kiss my beans!
Heartfelt thanks, the Tomassi Family