What a West African palm oil project reveals about SA's readiness for EU rules

As EU sustainability rules tighten, compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation is fast becoming a commercial requirement for South African agricultural exporters. A recently digitised palm oil supply chain in Sierra Leone now offers practical lessons on moving from policy to practice, writes Octavia Avesca Spandiel.

- Octavia Avesca Spandiel

As South African agricultural exporters face tightening EU sustainability and due diligence requirements, compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is becoming a commercial necessity rather than a consideration.

While palm oil is not one of South Africa's major exports, a recently digitised palm oil supply chain in Sierra Leone is offering practical lessons for South African agricultural industries that supply the EU market, including citrus, wine, sugar, and livestock.

Through a partnership between agritech company Koltiva and sustainable palm oil producer Planting Naturals, 7 224 smallholder farms and 7 723 plots have been digitised and verified across Sierra Leone's organic Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil-certified palm oil plantation and outgrower model.

The initiative enables full plot-level traceability under EUDR rules, while keeping smallholder farmers linked to an export-oriented value chain.

FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE

Speaking to Farmer's Weekly, Koltiva CEO Manfred Borer said the project demonstrates that EUDR readiness is achieved through practical, field-based systems rather than administrative reporting alone.

“EUDR readiness is built progressively, through verified, plot-level traceability combined with operational systems that support risk assessment and reporting,” he added.