The regulation in plain terms
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 prohibits placing coffee (and six other commodities) on the EU market unless it is deforestation-free — produced on land not deforested after 31 December 2020 — legally produced in the country of origin, and covered by a due diligence statement (DDS). After two postponements, the application date is 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and 30 June 2027 for micro and small enterprises (Council of the EU press release, 18 December 2025). The Commission's May 2026 simplification package and the December 2025 revision reduced the burden: only the first operator placing the goods on the EU market files the DDS, downstream operators keep records and reference it, and the Commission has stated there will be no further postponement (Hogan Lovells and Mayer Brown briefings, 2026). This page is not legal advice; your compliance team or adviser should confirm how the rules apply to your company.
Uganda's status
The European Commission's country benchmarking (May 2025) classifies Uganda as standard risk. Standard-risk origin means full due diligence — information gathering, risk assessment and, where needed, risk mitigation — rather than the simplified procedure available for low-risk countries. Uganda has prepared for this: the national coffee farmer registration and plot-mapping programme run by the Department of Coffee Development (MAAIF) covers roughly 1.6 million coffee farms, which is the backbone for lot-level geolocation.
What an EU importer needs per lot
- Geolocation of every plot the coffee came from: a point for plots under four hectares, a polygon for plots of four hectares or more.
- Evidence of no deforestation on those plots after 31 December 2020 — typically satellite-based analysis of the plot coordinates.
- Legality evidence: that the coffee was produced in accordance with Uganda's laws on land use, environment, labour and trade — for coffee, principally farmer registration, the exporter's licence and the export documents.
- Supply-chain information linking the lot to the plots: farmer identifiers, buying records, processing and export records.
- A deforestation-free and legality statement from the supplier supporting the importer's DDS.
What we provide
The traceability level of each lot is stated on its page, and it determines what we can deliver:
- Plot-level lots (from registered farmer groups or washing stations with delivery records): plot geolocation points or polygons in GeoJSON or CSV, farmer identifiers from the national register, buying and processing records, a supplier statement of deforestation-free and legal production, and the export document set.
- District-level lots (trader-aggregated coffee): origin district and buying centres, the export document set and a supplier statement; plot geolocation may not be available for every bag.
We tell you which level applies before you contract, so you can decide whether the lot fits your due diligence. We do not claim plot-level traceability for coffee that does not have it.
Data formats and handover
Geolocation is delivered as GeoJSON or CSV (WGS84 coordinates) with a lot reference that matches the contract and the bill of lading, plus the supporting records as PDF. We can enter data directly into your traceability platform if you use one. Handover is at or before pre-shipment sample approval so your DDS can be prepared before the coffee sails.
Who files the DDS
The EU operator who first places the coffee on the EU market — normally your importing company — files the due diligence statement in the EU Information System and receives the reference number; downstream operators and traders reference it. Non-EU exporters like us do not file the DDS but must supply the data that supports it.
Beyond the EU
UK and US buyers are not subject to EUDR, but many ask for the same geolocation data for their own sustainability commitments. The same lot-level data is available to them.
Frequently asked questions
When does EUDR apply to coffee imports?
From 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and 30 June 2027 for micro and small enterprises, following the December 2025 revision of the regulation.
Is Uganda a high-risk country under EUDR?
No. The Commission's May 2025 benchmarking classifies Uganda as standard risk, which requires full due diligence but not the enhanced scrutiny applied to high-risk countries.
What geolocation format is required?
A point (latitude/longitude) for plots under four hectares and a polygon for plots of four hectares or more, in WGS84. We deliver GeoJSON or CSV.
Does the exporter file the due diligence statement?
No. The first operator placing the coffee on the EU market — the importer — files the DDS. The exporter supplies the geolocation, legality and supply-chain data that support it.
Can you guarantee EUDR compliance?
We can supply the lot-level data and statements described above for lots with plot-level traceability, and we say clearly when a lot does not have it. Compliance is the operator's legal responsibility, based on their own risk assessment; we support it with data rather than guarantee it.
Do I need EUDR data for coffee shipped to the UK or US?
No, EUDR applies to the EU market. Many UK and US buyers ask for the same data voluntarily, and we provide it where the lot supports it.