In a decisive move to safeguard Liberia’s agricultural export economy and protect its vast tropical forests, major national and international stakeholders on Thursday adopted a landmark resolution on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
Convened by the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) at the D’Calabash Hotel in Congo Town, Monrovia, the extraordinary session brought together government ministries, law-makers, development partners, and private sector leaders.
The coalition signed a comprehensive resolution to accelerate compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and fully operationalize the National Agriculture Traceability System (NATS) by the strict deadline of December 31, 2026.
The EUDR mandates that key commodities including cocoa, coffee, rubber, and oil palm entering the European market must be proven deforestation-free after a cut-off date of December 31, 2020. Because Liberia heavily relies on EU bound agricultural exports to sustain the livelihoods of tens of thousands of rural smallholder farmers, any delay in building a credible traceability framework poses an immediate risk of permanent market exclusion.
“Liberia’s agricultural future, the livelihoods of our farmers, the integrity of our forests, and our standing in international markets depend upon the actions we take or fail to take between now and December 31, 2026,” the stakeholders affirmed in their joint resolution.
The newly adopted resolution outlines an aggressive, multi-institutional roadmap with clear accountability metrics and tight deadlines:
Reaffirms the National Agriculture Traceability Steering Committee (NATSC) chaired by LACRA with LISGIS as Vice Chair as the supreme governing body. LACRA will officially publish and circulate the binding NATS Roadmap by June 30, 2026.
A nationwide digital registration and plot-geolocation exercise for all cocoa, coffee, rubber, and oil palm producers will be launched by July 15, 2026, creating a single, National Farmer Data System by September 30, 2026.
The resolution further state that the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) is mandated to publish an EUDR-compatible national forest cover map by August 31, 2026.
Simultaneously, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will finalize strict deforestation-free sourcing criteria by September 30, 2026, strengthening enforcement around protected areas like Sapo National Park.
Also, the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) will fast-track land dispute resolutions and issue titles to smallholder farmers in key agricultural belts, targeting at least three priority counties by October 30, 2026.
For the National Legislature, the Agriculture Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate have committed to prioritizing the necessary legal framework in the 2026 legislative calendar. Furthermore, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning will explore domestic budget allocations to support these compliance efforts.
To ensure transparency, the resolution includes a strict accountability framework requiring bi-monthly progress updates. Key institutional target dates include, LACRA responsible to circulate NATS roadmap, launch nationwide farmer registration soon.
The resolution also named FDA as the agency of government that will Publish national forest cover map and deforestation baseline layers by August 31, 2026. Among others.
The resolution was signed and certified by a broad coalition of steering committee members and special invitees, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Cooperative Development Agency, the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia (RPAL), the National Rubber Broker & Farmers Union (NRBFUL), and international development partners including the European Union Delegation to Liberia, UNDP, FAO, IFC, and UNIDO.
The final resolution is being transmitted directly to the President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. as a formal request for continued executive leadership and backing on this urgent national economic priority.
