Application of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR): The Realities in Cocoa-Producing Areas in Côte d’Ivoire?

Cocoa is a strategic cash crop for the Ivorian economy. However, its impact on deforestation is raising major concerns at the international level. In this context, the European Union, the main market for Ivorian cocoa, has stated its intention to purchase only "zero deforestation" cocoa after December 31, 2020. The objective of this study is to assess the effective application of this regulation by Ivorian cocoa farmers. The methodology consisted of processing Sentinel-2 images from 2020 and 2024 of the production areas in the East, Center-West, and West. In addition, field missions were carried out to geolocate cocoa plots created between 2020 and 2024 and identify their previous crop. The results show that between 2020 and 2024, western Côte d'Ivoire saw a 41.79% expansion of cocoa plantations at the expense of forest areas and perennial crops. Similarly, in the east and center-west, increases of 74.37% and 121.79% respectively in cocoa plantations were observed at the expense of fallow land. However, faced with long fallow periods and replanting problems in these regions, producers are turning to other crops. Furthermore, the results showed that this standard is not being met in the various cocoa-producing areas of Côte d'Ivoire. Thus, in the former cocoa-producing regions of the East and Center-West, there is relative compliance with this regulation, unlike in the West (Man), where 57% of cocoa farms created between 2020 and 2024 were established on former forest land. In light of this situation, the government and civil society organizations should step up awareness campaigns on the EU Regulation among producers and cooperatives to ensure the sustainability of the Ivorian cocoa economy.