In February 2025, Coffee Watch released a report alleging the European Coffee Federation and Deutscher Kaffeeverband have conducted “harmful lobbying” against the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The report names several companies who are represented by the European and German Coffee Federations, including 4C, Dallmayr, ECOM, Illycaffe, JDE Peet’s, Lavazza, Louis Dreyfus, Melitta, Nestle, Neumann Kaffee Grupp, Olam, Segafredo, Starbucks, Tchibo, and Touton.

The report calls on the coffee sector to “cease its attacks” on the regulation and “focus on compliance”. It argues this should be done because of coffee production’s adverse impact on deforestation and labour rights violations. The report also says coffee supply chains are not particularly complex and the coffee industry does not face “unique” challenges regarding smallholder production relative to other products, meaning regulation compliance is possible. The reporting goes on to argue that many companies, including Nestle, JDE Peet’s, Starbucks, Olam, ECOM, Louis Dreyfus, and Touton, already have the “building blocks” in place to comply with the EUDR. The reporting argues companies cannot ‘commit to being deforestation free’ but also argue they are ‘unable to comply with the EUDR’.

The report highlights the prevalence of certifications in the sector, which it says should be a “major competitive advantage” regarding EUDR compliance. However, an accompanying Mongabay article also says certification schemes should do more as “few ... truly guarantee deforestation-free coffee”.

In March 2025, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited 4C, Dallmayr, ECOM, Illycaffe, JDE Peet’s, Lavazza, Louis Dreyfus, Melitta, Nestle, Neumann Kaffee Grupp, Olam, Segafredo, Starbucks, Tchibo, and Touton to respond to the reporting. Responses from 4C, Dallmayr, Illycaffe, JDE Peet’s, Lavazza, Louis Dreyfus, Melitta, Nestle, Neumann Kaffee Grupp, Olam, and Tchibo can be read in full below. ECOM, Segafredo, Starbucks and Touton did not respond.

The Resource Centre also received statements from the European Coffee Federation and Deutscher Kaffeeverband. The European Coffee Federation emphasised that it has always been "driven by a commitment to [the EUDR's] objectives" instead of "any attempt to undermine it", and highlights its role in "informing and supporting the coffee sector's understanding of the EUDR". Deutscher Kaffeeverband said it is a "proactive advocate for sustainable coffee supply chains" with a "stringent proactive approach". The statements from both coffee federations can be read in full below.