Published: January 23, 2026
MONROVIA — Facing the risk of losing key access to Europe’s market, Liberia has launched an urgent national plan to meet the European Union’s deforestation rules, rolling out new funding, a traceability roadmap and a fresh forest cover assessment aimed at keeping cocoa, coffee, rubber and palm oil exports from being shut out.
The measures were announced Thursday at a high-level meeting of the National Agriculture Traceability Steering Committee, convened by the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) in Monrovia and attended by government institutions, development partners and private-sector actors.
LACRA Director General Daniel Saryee warned that compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is no longer optional, describing it as a survival issue for farmers and an economic threat to the country.
“Sometimes people talk about EUDR as if it is just a European requirement,” Saryee said. “It is global. If this is not addressed, we are essentially telling our farmers to die by themselves.”
The EUDR restricts products linked to deforestation from entering the EU market and requires exporting countries to prove traceability, legality and deforestation-free production. Liberia’s major export commodities—including cocoa, coffee, rubber and palm oil—fall under the regulation.
Millions mobilized for compliance
To accelerate readiness, LACRA announced financial commitments totaling at least US$530,000 to support the rollout of traceability systems and policy work.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has pledged US$300,000 as an initial contribution and is sponsoring the current steering committee meeting. The Government of Liberia has committed US$200,000, while the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) earlier provided US$30,000 to launch Liberia’s first traceability platform, piloted in Lofa County.
Saryee said the pilot funding helped build a digital system to track agricultural products from farm to market—an essential element of EUDR compliance—and that a draft national roadmap outlining legal, technical and institutional steps will be circulated for stakeholder validation.
“This is not about listing donors,” he said. “Financing is key, and transparency is part of compliance.”
Exports and farmers at risk
IFC Country Advisory Program Lead Bobby Mensah said the consequences of noncompliance could be severe. He said Liberia risks losing about US$67 million in annual export earnings if it fails to meet the standards, even after the EU granted a one-year extension to the compliance deadline.
“You’re also risking the livelihood of nearly half a million smallholder farmers,” Mensah said. “EUDR is not voluntary. It’s a must.”
Mensah said the IFC is developing a new project to help Liberia strengthen the legal and regulatory framework needed for compliance, stressing that private-sector participation will be central to making the system work.
Forest map completed
In a major technical step, the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) announced it has completed Liberia’s 2020 forest cover map, along with a broader analysis of forest change from 2000 through December 2024.
Augustine Johnson, speaking on behalf of FDA Managing Director Rudolph Merab Sr., said the work was carried out alongside the Environmental Protection Agency and international partners to support Liberia’s reporting obligations under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“For the last 24 years, we have stratified the entire landmass of Liberia,” Johnson said, describing data tracking forest growth, degradation, and biodiversity trends.
He said the mapping exercise, required by LACRA, will be critical for proving deforestation-free production under the EUDR.
A national test
Speakers repeatedly described EUDR compliance as a national test requiring coordinated action across ministries, regulators, exporters and farmers.
“EUDR is our next nightmare,” Saryee said. “We must deal with it as a team and defend the survival of our farmers.”
With the EU deadline approaching, officials say Liberia’s success will depend on whether funding, forest data and policy reforms can be translated into real traceability systems on the ground—determining whether Liberian farmers remain connected to global markets or are locked out of them.
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