Implementing the European Union Deforestation Regulation: Perspectives from Southeast Asia

Ensuring deforestation-free supply chains has become a critical priority, particularly in response to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This regulation has far-reaching implications for global trade, especially for Southeast Asia, where key commodities such as palm oil, rubber, and coffee play a crucial economic role.

Working together, stakeholders across supply chains must navigate the challenges posed by EUDR compliance, including strict due diligence sustainability requirements. Smallholder farmers, who contribute significantly to these industries, face barriers to meeting these requirements due to limited technical and financial resources.

This webinar, jointly organised by the SMU Centre for Commercial Law in Asia and IISD, brought together different perspectives to discuss the practical feasibility of EUDR implementation and explore alternative and complementary approaches to address deforestation.

We examined the on-the-ground challenges of compliance, assess the potential socioeconomic impact on producers, and explore complementary measures to address deforestation, such as trade agreements, voluntary sustainability standards, and multistakeholder initiatives. This dialogue served as a foundation for identifying viable solutions that promote environmental sustainability with economic resilience in global supply chains while ensuring no adverse consequences to smallholders.

Moderators

• Cristina Larrea, Director, Agriculture, Food and Sustainability Initiatives, IISD
• Stefanie Schacherer, Assistant Professor of Law, SMU, Centre for Commercial Law in Asia

Speakers

• Dr. Surina Ismail, Chief Sustainability Officer, Group Sustainability, IOI Corporation Berhad
• Nicolas Lockhart, Partner, Sidley Austin
• Rukaiyah Rafik, Head of Secretariat, Yayasan FORTASBI Indonesia
• Florencia Sarmiento, Policy Advisor, IISD