A question for Astrid Zabel
Are we running out of chocolate?
Environmental economist Astrid Zabel explains the impact of the European Deforestation Regulation on the cultivation and consumption of goods.
The EU wants to live up to its responsibility as a consumer of goods for which forests are cleared. It therefore adopted the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products, EUDR. From 2025, this requires traders who want to import cocoa to the EU from Africa, for example, to prove that it does not originate from recently cleared land. Although halting deforestation is an important goal, there are many questions about the socio-economic impact of the EUDR on smallholders in the Global South. Critics complain that the EU is not simultaneously questioning the consumer behavior of its population and promoting the careful use of resources.
Switzerland has so far refrained from adapting the law. We are not running out of chocolate, but trade flows may shift and we should not avoid uncomfortable questions about the consequences of our consumption.
About the person
Astrid Zabel
is an environmental economist and Head of Impact Area “Sustainable Land Systems” at the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern. She conducts research on environmental policy instruments in a national and international context.
Magazine uniFOKUS
Africa
This article first appeared in uniFOKUS, the University of Bern print magazine. Four times a year, uniFOKUS focuses on one specialist area from different points of view. Current focus topic: Africa
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