Ecological transition, forests and agro-industrial supply chains: the implementation of the deforestation regulation (EUDR)

The European Commission has recently adopted a regulation aimed at reducing the effects of so-called "embedded deforestation"; that is, deforestation caused mainly by the import of primary goods such as soy, palm oil, beef, cocoa, coffee and wood.

Therefore, with a view to safeguarding the ecological value of forest ecosystems in the countries producing these raw materials (predominantly in the tropical area), the European Union has provided in Regulation (EU) 2024/3234, which entered into force on June 29, 2023, enhanced due diligence measures that will allow zero-deforestation products to be placed on the market.

Member States will have to define, through specific decrees, the methods and tools that companies subject to the new requirements will have to apply as early as December 2025. In this context, the various agro-industrial sectors will have to rapidly develop new procedures and traceability systems that are able, on one hand, to meet the objectives indicated by the regulation and, on the other, to avoid an increase in bureaucratic burdens, given that these are very long supply chains, with consequent loss of competitiveness along the distribution chains.

In this direction, it is necessary to provide an open space for dialogue where information can be networked and the most critical aspects related to the implementation of the new procedures can be shared, to ensure the right balance between the appropriate objectives of environmental protection and climate mitigation and those of supplying primary goods for strategic supply chains for Made in Italy.

Session Chair

Silvia Piconcelli, Confagricoltura

program

10.00 Welcome greetings
Enrico Allasia, Confagricoltura

10.15-10.30 Introduction
Marco Marchetti, Fondazione Alberitalia

10.30-10.45 New requirements under Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation and forest degradation (EUDR)
Emanuele Pitto, European Commission

10.45-11.00 Competitiveness and sustainability of the forestry sector
Emilio Gatto, Difor

11.00-11.15 The control system
Salvatore Alberino, ICQRF

11.15-12.00 Case studies and Call for papers
Moderator:
Pietro Oieni, Difor III

Case studies

Trusty - Alessandro Chelli

Call for Papers

Beyond wood: ecosystem functions and services to enhance the supply chain and reduce environmental impacts
Elena Maestri, CIDEA University of Parma

An operational protocol for collecting and sharing data on wood biomass flows in the Po Valley: tools for ecological transition in agroforestry supply chains
Domenico Vito, Lombardy Foundation for the Environment

An Integrated Perspective on Territorial Vulnerability in the Context of the EU Zero Deforestation Regulation
Manolo Zocco, UNISI

12.00-13.00 Round Table
How to achieve the new requirements? Supply chains in comparison

Introduction and moderation
Alessandra Stefani Cluster Italia Foresta Legno

Speakers:
Claudio Feltrin, Federlegno
Mauro Fontana, Italian Union for Sustainable Palm Oil
Carlo Siciliani, Uniceb
Enrico Zavaglia, Cereal docks

13.00-13.15 Conclusions
Davide Matteo Pettenella, Unipd