Equity in unilateral value chain policies: a monitoring framework for the EUDR and beyond

Unilateral value chain policies have recently emerged as a key strategy of international land use governance. They are part of a broader trend towards trade-based environmental policies, from corporate due diligence to sustainability certification and trade moratoria, that has been critiqued for reinforcing inequities in global trade. Such critique has been heightened by the current rise of unilateralism, whereby states impose environmental rules on imported commodities. Debates have ensued over the political legitimacy of unilateralism, the unequal distribution of its socio-economic impacts, and the need to safeguard local producers and communities.

The framework developed here monitors equity across scales and phases of the policy process; the authors have applied it to the 2023 EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR), which aims to stop EU imports of commodities linked to deforestation. They find that EUDR policy references equity as a desired outcome but excludes affected actors from the design process. Drawing on the case of cocoa in Ghana, they identify diverse potential impacts on smallholder farmers and economies. Opportunities for the EUDR to improve equity include embedding non-EU stakeholders in international decision-making processes, enhanced and equitable partnerships with producing countries and major investments in farmer support.