Supporting the objectives of a regulation is easy. Supporting the obligations that give it force is a more revealing test. For the cocoa industry, that distinction should sit at the centre of the debate over corporate lobbying in Brussels.
Earthsight’s investigation into Cargill provides the latest reason to ask the question. The organisation alleges that the agribusiness combines public preparations for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) with efforts to weaken it through lobbying networks. Its reporting principally concerns grain and oilseeds, rather than cocoa sourcing.
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The commercial issue extends beyond one company or commodity. Spending on traceability and responsible sourcing rests partly on two assumptions: customers will value those investments, and regulation will require competitors to meet a common minimum. Lobbying that lowers that minimum could change the economics of the investment.