National and international stakeholders over the weekend, adopted a landmark resolution concerning the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The move is to protect the country agricultural export economy and its vast tropical forests.
Acting Director General of the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), Dan T. Saryee, recalled how the raced against time to establish the systems, partnerships, financing mechanisms and institutional arrangements was necessary to meet the new international market requirements for agricultural exports to the European Union (EU).
Saryee said, the EUDR, adopted by the EU in 2023; mandates exporters of cocoa, coffee and rubber to demonstrate through verifiable traceability, and due diligence systems, that their products entering the European market are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation.
He said, the regulation has profound implications for Liberia, where the agricultural sector heavily relies on access to European markets.
“Failure to comply could lead to restricted access, declining export earnings, reduced incomes for smallholder farmers, and diminished investor confidence in the agricultural sector.”
Antonino Di Clemente, EU Deforestation Green Team Program Officer, characterized the initiative as a market opportunity rather than a barrier.
Clemente highlighted its potential to boost the economy, improve food security, prevent encroachment and establish real traceability for the country.
The coalition signed a comprehensive resolution to expedite compliance with the EUDR, and fully operationalize the National Agriculture Traceability System (NATS) by the strict deadline of December 31, 2026.
Key resolution highlights the EUDR requires that cocoa, coffee, rubber and oil palm, entering the European market must be proven deforestation-free after the December 31 cut-off date.
Given Liberia’s reliance on EU-bound agricultural exports to sustain the livelihoods of tens of thousands of rural smallholder farmers, any delay in establishing a credible traceability framework poses an imminent risk of permanent market exclusion.
“Liberia’s agricultural future, the livelihoods of our farmers, the integrity of our forests, and our standing in international markets depend on the actions we take, or fail to take between now and December 31, 2026.”
Stakeholders affirmed in the joint resolution that the newly adopted resolution outlines an aggressive, multi-institutional roadmap with clear accountability metrics and tight deadlines.
They also reaffirmed the National Agriculture Traceability Steering Committee (NATSC). The committee is chaired by LACRA with LISGIS as vice chair and the supreme governing body.
LACRA will officially publish and circulate the binding NATS Roadmap by June 30, 2026.
A nationwide digital registration and plot-geolocation exercise for all cocoa, coffee, rubber, and oil palm producers will commence by July 15, 2026, leading to the creation of a single National Farmer Data System by September 30.
The resolution further mandates the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to publish an EUDR-compatible national forest cover map by August 31. Simultaneously, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will finalize strict deforestation-free sourcing criteria by September 30, enhancing enforcement around the Sapo National Park.
Additionally, the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) will expedite land dispute resolutions and issue titles to smallholder farmers in key agricultural regions, targeting at least three priority counties by October 30.
The Agriculture Committees at the House of Representatives and the Senate, have committed to prioritize the necessary legal frameworks in the 2026 legislative calendar.
Moreover, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, will explore domestic budget allocations to support these compliance efforts.
To ensure transparency, the resolution includes a strict accountability framework that requires bi-monthly progress updates.
Key institutional target dates include LACRA’s responsibility to circulate the NATS Roadmap and launch nationwide farmer registration by June 30, with the FDA tasked to publish the national forest cover map and deforestation baseline layers by August 31.
A broad coalition signed the resolution certified by the steering committee members and special invitees, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Cooperative Development Agency, the Rubber Planters Association, the National Rubber Broker and Farmers Union, and the EU Delegation to Liberia, UNDP, FAO, IFC, and UNIDO.
The final resolution has meanwhile, been transmitted directly to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, as a formal request for continued executive leadership and support on the urgent national economic priority.