FIT for FAIR closes in Ethiopia: Handover of Policy Recommendations
On August 28th in Ethiopia, the FIT for FAIR project – implemented by the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority (ECTA) with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and SASI – was concluded. The validation workshop in Addis Ababa marked the end of more than one year of intensive work on enabling framework conditions for the operationalization of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
About FIT for FAIR
FIT for FAIR is active globally and aims to enable partner countries to create conducive policies and a legislative environment that allow relevant supply chain actors to comply with key due diligence regulations. In Ethiopia, the project focused on the coffee sector and facilitated exchanges between ministries, coffee cooperatives, associations, exporters, civil society, and international stakeholders to jointly review the political and legal environment related to due diligence.
Stakeholders Review Framework and Formulate Policy Recommendations
Since the project’s launch in July 2024, three task force meetings brought together stakeholders to discuss the results of the status quo and gap analysis. Guided by a team of four national experts – covering traceability, environment, legal and institutional issues, and human rights – the process produced a comprehensive set of policy recommendations. These were presented and validated at the closing workshop with around 50 participants.
Key proposals include:
- Traceability and digital solutions: Establishing a national traceability guideline and expanding an existing database by integrating geolocation, yield, and export data.
- Environmental due diligence: Aligning national forest and land-use definitions with the EUDR, incorporating safeguards to prevent forest conversion, and strengthening enforcement of environmental laws.
- Legal and institutional framework: Formalizing inter-ministerial agreements and introducing mechanisms to enable public interest litigation.
- Human and social rights: Take actions to reduce informality in accordance with international agreements, awareness-raising, development of a child labour manual, and mandatory birth registration. Women’s rights were also highlighted as a critical area for action.
Policy Recommendations to be taken forward by the National Coffee Platform
At the closing event, Dr. Adugna Debela, Director General of ECTA, expressed appreciation for the participatory process and emphasized that the recommendations will be presented to the newly established National Coffee Platform, ensuring their visibility among political decision-makers.
Towards EUDR-Compliant and Sustainable Coffee Supply Chains
With the completion of FIT for FAIR in Ethiopia, the country now has a stakeholder-driven roadmap to advance sustainable coffee production while aligning with international due diligence requirements. The recommendations provide a foundation for strengthening Ethiopia’s coffee sector and safeguarding its competitiveness in European and global markets.