Deforestation is the primarily result of the expansion of agricultural land for forest risk commodities (FRCs) such as cattle, wood, palm oil, soy, cocoa, coffee and rubber. These FRCs play a significant role in driving deforestation in tropical countries and the European Union (EU). The EU is the second-largest importer of commodity-driven deforestation and is responsible for 16% of the global embedded deforestation and substantially contributing to climate change.
To address this issue and meet climate targets, it's crucial to ensure sustainable FRC supply chains. To overcome these challenges, the European Commission adopted the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which bans the imports to and exports from the EU of FRC produced on deforested or degraded land after 31st December 2020.
The road to a future free of deforestation is also complicated by the incomplete treatment of themes connected to deforestation in national education and training curricula. The EMMA4EU project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission, seeks to close these gaps by bringing together numerous stakeholders to create an EU alliance that will develop innovative training solutions to create a new profession: the Deforestation Free Supply Chain (DFSC) Manager.
These newly trained professionals will be equipped with digital, environmental, and interdisciplinary skills to support sustainable FRC supply chains, implement the EU Deforestation Regulation, advance a more environmentally friendly circular economy, and work towards climate neutrality by 2050.
Key objectives
The EMMA4EU alliance will gather different stakeholders, with a common interest in deforestation-free supply chains, whether from an educational or a business point of view. The alliance will provide networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities, as well as exclusive content.
EMMA4EU will bridge different disciplines and sectors, connecting higher education and vocational training organisations (HEI&VETs), businesses, public organisations, civil society organisations (CSOs) or non-governmental organisaitons (NGOs) to launch an EU alliance that will develop innovative training solutions to create the new DFSC manager profession.
Target groups
- Companies
- Universities, research centres and institutions
- NGOs and CSOs
- Public bodies
- Students and researchers
- VET centres
- Working professionals
Expected outcomes
EMMA4EU's mission is to bridge sectors, provide innovative training, and support sustainability and climate targets, focusing on the emergence of deforestation-free supply chain managers equipped with digital, green, and interdisciplinary skills, ultimately fostering global change.
To achieve this, the alliance will bring together stakeholders to boost cooperation, knowledge-sharing and innovation among higher education and vocational training organisations, institutions, enterprises and NGOs in the EU and beyond.
For more information and to get involved, please visit: Emma4EU
