ABIDJAN, Aug. 21 – Ivory Coast cocoa producers and exporters are preparing for new European Union rules aimed at preventing products linked to deforestation from entering the European market, although industry players warn the new system could cause delays when the next cocoa season begins.
The EU’s anti-deforestation law is due to take effect at the end of December and requires companies to prove that commodities such as cocoa are not connected to deforestation.
Ivory Coast’s Coffee and Cocoa Council says the country is ready to meet the new requirements. Its head, Yves Brahima Kone, said digital identification cards issued to farmers will help track cocoa from farms to export ports when the 2026/27 season starts on September 1.
The cards, introduced in 2019, work as electronic wallets and record where cocoa is produced. They are also used to verify the origin of cocoa and help farmers receive the state-guaranteed price.
Kone said the system has been tested for two years and is ready to show that Ivory Coast’s cocoa can be traced and certified. The cards are also expected to give more than one million small-scale cocoa farmers access to banking services for the first time. The regulator estimates that the country has between 1.2 million and 1.3 million cocoa farmers.
However, exporters and buyers remain concerned about the rollout. Industry sources say that farmers who have not received their cards, or those who have lost them, could struggle to sell their cocoa. They also pointed to a shortage of card-reading terminals that could slow purchases.
Beyond these concerns, industry participants are questioning whether the system can fully prevent cocoa grown illegally in protected areas from entering the supply chain.
Ivory Coast estimates that cocoa produced in protected forests and national parks accounts for 15% of national output, while exporters and European environmental groups estimate the figure at around 30%.
Illegal cocoa can still reach the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro and be mixed with legally produced beans, partly because farmers’ output is estimated rather than measured precisely.
Exporters warned that these challenges could lead to delays in cocoa purchases, exports and the wider supply chain as the new rules come into force.
