EUDR: what a Honduran exporter needs to prove origin

Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, known as the EUDR, requires certain products entering the European market to show they don't come from deforested land and were produced legally. For Honduras, it squarely covers coffee, cocoa, oil palm and timber. The EU has postponed its application date more than once, so it is worth confirming it with the buyer.

What it requires

• Deforestation-free: the plot must not have been deforested after 31 December 2020.
• Legal production: under the laws of the country of origin.
• Geolocation of every plot: a point for small plots and a polygon for those over four hectares.
• Due diligence: the operator selling in Europe must gather and keep this information, so it asks its exporter for it.

What to have ready

1. A register of producers and plots, with land tenure documents.
2. Georeferencing for every plot, with its stated precision.
3. A lot dossier: which plots supplied each lot and where it went.

The chain of custody

A lot passes through four links: Plot → Collection → Processing → Export. At each one, you record what came in, from where, and what went out. If one link isn't documented, the buyer can't prove origin, even if the product is legitimate.

What wasn't recorded at the collection point can't be rebuilt at the port.

This note explains the regulation in general terms and isn't legal advice. Each exporter should check with their buyer which information format they need.

Written byRuben AlmendaresIT