Due diligence for sustainable trade between Latin America and the European Union

The growing demands for sustainability in international trade have driven the development of standards and norms that attempt to account for environmental and social demands. In recent years, Due Diligence (DD) in human rights and environmental issues has emerged as an assessment tool that is being used by transnational corporations. The European Green Deal includes it in its new rules and guidelines. Latin American countries, particularly agricultural producers, are currently facing European standards for deforestation-free products, which include due diligence in a central role. Analyzing the impacts of production with a risk approach, as proposed by this tool, is generating a series of challenges in the region. Knowing part of the recent experiences in this area will allow us to better illustrate the potential of the tool, as well as its challenges. During this side event, the aim is to learn about the challenges of international trade in the use of due diligence as a tool to improve sustainability: the case of coffee and cocoa in trade with the European Union.