Restrictions to be implemented on seven items, including rubber, coffee and cocoa, being exported to the European Union starting January 1, 2025, have put farmers in Kerala in trouble. According to the new regulations imposed by the EU, the export of these seven commodities will only be permitted if a certificate is produced showing the item is not from land deforested after 2020.

To complicate matters, farmers must submit this certificate with every export, or the relevant board responsible for the commodity must establish a regular system to facilitate this certification. The new requirement is part of the European Union's Deforestation Regulation. Although no forests have been felled or cleared for crop cultivation in Kerala since 1980, farmers are concerned that plantations, including rubber, might be mistakenly classified as forests by the EU.

The EU has collected data on forests and deforested land using satellite images and private agencies. This could potentially cause technical issues for farmers and exporters, they said.