The Rainforest Alliance has taken new steps to help coffee and cocoa companies achieve European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) compliance, via its Rainforest Alliance certification platform.
By opting into to specific criteria that align with EUDR requirements, companies will be able to source from participating farms, trace those ingredients through their supply chains, and leverage farm data by the regulation’s deadline, enabling them to prove that they have a system in place to assess and mitigate deforestation risks in their supply chains.
The solution is available at no additional cost, and can help companies ‘make a big leap towards full compliance’ with EUDR guidelines, the group said.
Importance of traceability
“The Rainforest Alliance has been working to tackle tropical deforestation in global supply chains for more than 35 years,” commented Michelle Deugd, the group’s director of forests and agriculture.
“Traceability has always been the backbone of that approach. Building on these foundations we’ve worked hard to fast-track the alignment of our certification programme with the new regulations, including proprietary AI remote sensing data for mapping deforestation risks.”
Collecting and processing
Leveraging its globally recognised certification programme, the Rainforest Alliance assists farmers with collecting and processing geo-coordinates for their farms, information that is vital for the accurate mapping of deforestation risks.
This analysis, conducted at farm level using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, integrates Rainforest Alliance’s AI remote sensing forest data with other publicly available and government data sources to map deforestation risks. This approach enhances accuracy compared to relying solely on open-source data methods.
Farmer groups can utilise these risk maps for internal deforestation checks, especially in high-risk areas.
Additionally, independent third-party auditors employ these maps for risk-based verification of no-deforestation, as required by the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard, providing an extra layer of assurance.
‘A unique opportunity’
“We have a unique opportunity to step up our collective efforts to tackle deforestation while protecting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers,” added Deugd. “By working together, we can ensure that the EUDR is a win-win for both people and nature.”
By mid-2024, Rainforest Alliance has committed to implementing data reporting for companies utilising the Rainforest Alliance EUDR offering in certified cocoa and coffee supply chains. Elsewhere, initiatives will be undertaken to devise solutions for companies procuring non-certified cocoa and coffee.
In this new era of sustainability, businesses need to adapt. Keep up to date with the latest developments at www.sustainabilityonline.net.
