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Regulation and Raw Materials
Major cocoa producers in West Africa are facing significant obstacles in adapting to the European Union's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), raising growing concerns about supply continuity. This situation anticipates price volatility and operational risks for the Spanish food industry, which is highly dependent on this raw material.
The entry into force of the strict regulation of the Unión Europea The fight against deforestation is generating considerable friction in the global cocoa supply chain, with an epicenter of tension in África Occidental. Countries like Costa de Marfil y Ghanawhich together produce more than 60% of the world's cocoa, they face a major challenge in guaranteeing the traceability required by Bruselas, which requires precise geolocation data for each plot of land to verify that it does not come from land deforested after 2020.
The core of the problem lies in the sector's fragmented structure, dominated by millions of small farmers who lack the technological and financial resources to implement the necessary tracking systems. The complexity of the supply chains, with their multiple intermediaries, further hinders the collection of reliable and verifiable data, an essential requirement for European importing companies to market the product in the single market.
Direct impact on Spanish industry
To EspañaThis situation is not a distant problem, but a direct threat to its powerful food industry. The Spanish chocolate and confectionery sector, a pillar of agri-food exports, depends critically on cocoa imports from this African region. Spanish companies now face a double risk: on the one hand, a potential shortage of certified raw materials that meet the EUDRThis could disrupt production; on the other hand, there is an inevitable increase in operating and acquisition costs.
The need to conduct thorough due diligence to avoid severe penalties from the UE This forces Spanish importing companies to invest in new verification systems and absorb the price premium for traceable cocoa. These additional costs, coupled with potential volatility in commodity futures markets such as ICE de LondresThese costs will most likely be passed along the value chain, generating inflationary pressures on the final price of consumer products.
The current situation is forcing Spanish companies to reassess their procurement strategies and strengthen their compliance departments. The transition to a fully transparent and sustainable supply chain is emerging as a structural challenge that will define the sector's competitiveness in the short and medium term, in an environment where European environmental regulations are already acting as a key macroeconomic factor in global trade.
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