Instant coffee likely to be added to EU deforestation rules

BRUSSELS, March 14, 2026 — The European Union Deforestation Regulation [EUDR], designed to curb deforestation linked to global commodity supply chains, may soon be amended to include instant coffee after industry observers flagged its notable omission from the regulation.

The EUDR targets commodities associated with forest loss, including cocoa, palm oil, cattle, soy, timber and rubber. Several coffee products are already covered under the law—such as green coffee, roasted coffee, decaffeinated coffee, extracts and oils. However, instant coffee has so far been excluded, a gap that has raised eyebrows across the coffee industry.

Analysts say the omission is likely the result of a technical oversight. Instant coffee is produced from the same raw ingredient—coffee beans—as other coffee products that are already regulated under the framework.

Reports indicate that the European Commission is considering amending the regulation to include instant coffee, given its sizeable global market share and the potential risk of deforestation linked to its supply chain. At present, instant coffee is classified under a customs code that does not automatically trigger the EUDR’s due-diligence requirements.

If incorporated into the regulation, instant coffee would be subjected to the same traceability and verification standards applied to other coffee products entering the European market.

Currently, about 95 per cent of coffee imported into the European Union consists of green coffee beans, with major suppliers including Brazil and Vietnam. Industry experts warn that leaving instant coffee outside the regulatory scope could create compliance challenges and loopholes for brands operating across multiple product categories.

Companies could potentially bypass EUDR requirements by sourcing instant coffee from processing facilities outside Europe and importing it as a finished product without undergoing deforestation checks. Such a gap, analysts say, could undermine the regulation’s objective of eliminating deforestation from coffee supply chains.

The potential inclusion of instant coffee has also sparked debate over how multinational firms will respond. Some companies selling coffee in multiple formats may opt to make their entire product portfolio EUDR-compliant, while others could weigh the financial implications of compliance against market demand.

At the same time, some industry stakeholders have criticised the regulation, arguing that European sustainability rules impose disproportionate requirements on producers in developing countries and reflect a form of regulatory overreach.

Although the European Commission has not formally confirmed whether instant coffee will be added to the EUDR, discussions are ongoing. The regulation allows amendments through delegated acts, and proposals to expand the product scope—including instant coffee and palm-oil-derived soap—have reportedly been opened for public consultation.

Under the current implementation timeline, large companies must comply with the EUDR by 30 December 2026, while smaller firms will have until 30 June 2027. As deliberations continue, the regulatory outlook for coffee—particularly instant coffee—remains a key issue for global traders, processors and exporting countries.

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