Deforestation in South-East Asia
We are proud to support Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) in its work to strengthen the protection of Southeast Asian ecosystems through the effective implementation of the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR). This project focuses on safeguarding tropical forests in Indonesia and Malaysia - regions heavily affected by palm oil production, land-rights conflicts, and biodiversity loss.
EUDR, adopted in 2023, has the potential to significantly reduce the EU’s global deforestation footprint. However, its implementation has faced resistance from governments and commodity producers in Southeast Asia, as well as political challenges within the EU. Against this backdrop, DUH has positioned itself as a key voice defending the integrity of the regulation and supporting stakeholders on the ground.
Through this project, running from April 2024 to April 2025, DUH worked to inform and empower local communities, civil society organisations, companies, and political actors in Southeast Asia. This helped to strengthen understanding of EUDR, to highlight its benefits, and to support practical steps toward compliance - especially for actors who fear disadvantages due to the new requirements.
The Families for Nature Foundation contributed to this work through financial support, enabling DUH to conduct research, organise expert dialogues, coordinate partners, and engage in policy defence at the EU level. This included supporting personnel capacity, travel planning, and the preparation of background information essential for the project’s impact.
In 2024–2025, DUH hosted multiple expert talks, including sessions with indigenous rights organisations such as SAVE Rivers from Sarawak, academic partners from the National University of Singapore, businesses, and European authorities. These dialogues helped to clarify challenges in implementing EUDR and strengthened networks between Southeast Asian stakeholders and European decision makers.
Another key contribution of the project was the development of a widely circulated EUDR factsheet, which addressed common misconceptions and provided clear guidance for companies preparing for compliance. This proved especially important as the political debate in Europe intensified and implementation was postponed to 2025. DUH also expanded its engagement in the Forum Nachhaltiges Palmöl (FONAP), contributing expertise on human rights, smallholder inclusion, and deforestation-free supply chains. Through this work, DUH helped to increase the involvement of producer-country organisations in FONAP, strengthening its international relevance.
Through these combined efforts, DUH built a strong network of local partners, European NGOs, government actors, companies, and researchers. This network forms a crucial foundation for long-term, effective EUDR implementation and for improving forest governance in key producing regions.
DUH’s ability to combine policy expertise, international cooperation, and practical support makes it a highly effective actor in global forest protection. We are pleased to contribute to this important work and to support the efforts to safeguard Southeast Asia’s ecosystems and communities while advancing strong, credible EU environmental policy.