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Quick summary: Struggling with EUDR traceability? Learn the 5 essential steps to build a deforestation-free, audit-ready supply chain — from GPS mapping to submitting due diligence statements.
Compliance is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s the new cost of doing business.
With the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) set for full enforcement in 2025, agri exporters, traders, processors, and global brands face an urgent challenge: prove that their products are not linked to deforestation or forest degradation — or risk losing access to the EU market. From coffee, cocoa, rubber, and timber to soy, palm oil, and cattle, the regulation requires full EUDR traceability down to the plot level.
This means capturing GPS coordinates, mapping supply chain actors, and producing verifiable due diligence documentation for every batch you move. For businesses that rely on smallholder networks, fragmented data systems, or paper-based records, this shift feels daunting — and expensive. But it doesn’t have to be. With the right strategy and tools, EUDR traceability can become a competitive advantage — helping you streamline audits, build buyer trust, and stay ahead of sustainability mandates.
Key Takeaways
If you’ve skimmed the EUDR documentation (and who hasn’t?), you know it’s packed with policy-speak. But what does it really mean for someone on the ground managing suppliers, sourcing raw materials, or preparing for buyer audits?
Here’s the plain truth: EUDR isn’t just a form to fill out. It’s a full supply chain transformation.
To be compliant, you’re expected to prove that every product you ship into the EU — whether it’s coffee beans, rubber sheets, or cocoa nibs — was not grown on deforested land after December 31, 2020. And that’s just the start.
GPS coordinates of the land where the commodity was produced. This can’t be vague — you’ll need exact polygon boundaries or geo-tags. You must prove that the farm or plantation isn’t located in an area that was deforested after the 2020 cut-off. EU authorities will cross-check this using satellite data. If you don’t already have farmer GPS data, or if you’re sourcing from smallholders across regions… you’ve got some mapping to do.
You need to submit a due diligence statement confirming that the product is deforestation-free. This includes land ownership records, land-use documentation, and signed declarations from producers.
This is your legal proof — the basis of your compliance. Without it, you risk rejection, penalties, or even blacklisting in the EU market.
Manual documentation just won’t cut it anymore. You’ll need a secure, digital way to capture, store, and export documents that stand up to audits.
You must maintain a transparent chain of custody — from farm to port. This includes aggregators, processors, traders, and exporters. Every actor must be accounted for.
One weak link — one missing actor — and your entire traceability trail collapses. That batch could be flagged, delayed, or denied entry into the EU.
You need a platform that connects farmer profiles, batch IDs, transport events, and export docs — seamlessly and in real time.
You’re expected to assess the risk of deforestation or illegality in your supply chain — and show how you’ve mitigated it. This is where many companies fall short. It’s not enough to collect data — you have to prove that you’ve analyzed it, too. Look for tools that offer supplier risk scoring, deforestation overlays, and alerts — not just storage.
Before placing goods on the EU market, you must upload a digital Due Diligence Statement into the EU’s official Information System. This is your compliance receipt — without it, you cannot legally trade regulated commodities in the EU. Make sure your traceability solution is EUDR-ready and can generate PDF or XML exports in the required format.
EUDR compliance isn’t a checkbox. It’s a system — and you need a tech stack that supports it at every step.
If you’re still managing farmer data on spreadsheets, collecting GPS manually, or relying on siloed systems, you’re not just behind — you’re at risk.
With the right platform, EUDR compliance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can actually make your supply chain smarter, more transparent, and more resilient.
When it comes to EUDR compliance, most people jump straight to GPS coordinates or document uploads. Before you can trace a product… you need to see your supply chain. All of it. End to end. That’s where most companies hit their first roadblock.
That’s because most agri supply chains are fragmented, multi-tiered, and built on trust rather than traceability. Which is beautiful for community trade — but risky under EUDR.
If you’re going to prove that every lot you ship is deforestation-free, you need to know exactly:
Without this map, any effort to trace batches, assess risk, or generate a due diligence statement becomes guesswork. And under EUDR? Guesswork doesn’t fly.
Instead of trying to “map it all” at once, break your supply chain into logical clusters:
This gives you a prioritized roadmap and helps you avoid overwhelm.
Use geospatial tools to layer:
If you work with cooperatives, farmer producer groups, or individual smallholders — this step is critical.
Most smallholders:
Which means: you can’t leave them out of the map — or your traceability chain breaks before it starts.
Bring them into the system using:
You can’t trace what you haven’t mapped.
This step gives you the foundation for everything that follows — traceability, documentation, risk analysis, and due diligence.
Once you’ve mapped your supply chain from a high level, it’s time to get granular — and this is where the EUDR gets serious.
You’re no longer just listing supplier names and regions.
Now, the question is: “Where exactly was this crop grown?”
And more importantly: “Was that land deforested after December 2020?”
The only way to answer that with confidence — and compliance — is through GPS data and plot-level mapping.
EUDR requires you to provide precise location data for every farm plot associated with a product entering the EU. That means:
Why?
Because EU authorities will cross-check your farm plots against satellite maps and land use records to confirm whether any deforestation has taken place since the cutoff date.
This is where traceability moves from paperwork… to pixels.
Here’s what your field teams (or farmer partners) need — and what your traceability platform should offer out of the box:
1. Mobile App with Built-In GPS Mapping
2. Remote Sensing or Pre-Tagged Polygon Upload
3. Assisted Onboarding for Smallholders
The places where deforestation risk is highest often overlap with places that have zero network coverage.
That’s why your geo-capture tools must work without internet and allow syncing later.
Your field agents should be able to:
Each GPS plot must be linked to a:
That way, when a shipment is traced back to a lot, you’re not stuck. You’ll know exactly where it came from, when it was harvested, and whether the land it grew on meets EUDR standards.
Traceability isn’t real unless you can put it on a map.
Want to See How Plot Mapping Works Offline?
Watch how TraceX’s mobile tool captures polygon boundaries, even in the middle of the forest — and syncs them to your dashboard in seconds.
If plot-level mapping is your proof of “where,” then declarations and land-use records are your proof of “what happened there — and when. And under the EUDR?
That story needs to be told clearly, backed by evidence, and shared digitally. You now need time-stamped documentation to prove it — and that’s exactly where most supply chains fall short.
The EUDR puts the responsibility on you, the operator or trader, to verify that no deforestation has occurred on any land used to produce goods entering the EU market — after December 31, 2020. This isn’t just about sourcing ethically.
It’s about backing up your ethics with data and documentation.
That means:
All of which must be:
Most of this information already exists — in someone’s notebook, filing cabinet, or WhatsApp thread. But that’s the problem:
So when an auditor shows up or a buyer asks for a proof pack?
You’re scrambling through documents and spreadsheets, hoping nothing was missed. And that’s a risk no one wants to take — especially not when a container’s on the dock.
The best way to collect, organize, and protect these critical records is to go digital at the source. Modern farmer profiling and traceability platforms now allow field agents (or farmers) to:
Digital declarations aren’t just about storing paperwork — they’re about building credibility.
They transform you from a “maybe” supplier to a preferred partner, from risk-prone to audit-ready. And with the right platform, you can do all of this at scale — without slowing down your operations.
Okay — you’ve mapped your farmers. You’ve captured their GPS plots. You’ve digitized declarations and land history. Now comes the part where many traceability systems quietly break down: keeping the chain intact from farm… to port.
Because if your sourcing story starts strong but falls apart during aggregation, you don’t really have traceability — you have a trust gap. That’s why this step is so crucial: connecting the dots between what’s grown, what’s moved, and what gets exported — all the way back to the individual farmer or plot.
Under EUDR and most major certification schemes, it’s not enough to show who your farmers are.
You need to prove that the coffee, cocoa, or rubber in that specific shipment came from those mapped, verified plots.
That means:
Let’s say a 5-ton cocoa shipment leaves your warehouse with batch ID #789, ready for export.
Now imagine:
That’s a red flag.
In an EUDR world, that batch may be deemed non-compliant — or worse, delayed at customs.
Here’s what your system should enable you (and your field or warehouse teams) to do:
Plot-level profiling gives you depth. Batch-level traceability gives you direction. Together, they turn raw data into a fully traceable, export-ready product — with compliance built into every stage.
So you’ve mapped your supply chain, geo-tagged farms, digitized declarations, and linked batches back to farmers.
Now it’s time to prove it.
Because under EUDR, you’re not just expected to do the work — you have to show your work. And the final step in your compliance journey is all about turning traceability into verified, reportable, and submittable due diligence.
Let’s unpack how to do that in a way that’s efficient, audit-ready, and future-proof.
The EUDR requires that before placing any regulated product on the EU market, companies must submit a Due Diligence Statement via an official digital portal. This includes:
And yes — this all needs to be digitally submitted (XML or JSON format). PDF backups are helpful, but they won’t cut it for official compliance.
You’re not expected to have zero risk — but you are expected to identify and mitigate risk before your product ships.
That’s why EUDR-compliant platforms now include:
With the right traceability solution, your compliance or sourcing team can view:
Everything in one place. Filtered. Searchable. Exportable. The final stretch: uploading your Due Diligence Statement.
A robust platform should allow you to:
This is your legal trail — make sure it’s automated, not manual.
This isn’t just the final step — it’s the moment of truth. You’re telling your buyer, your certifier, and the EU: “Here’s exactly where this came from, who grew it, and why it’s deforestation-free — and here’s the proof.” If your system can’t help you do that in one click, it’s not built for the future of agri-trade.
TraceX’s EUDR Compliance Platform is a blockchain-powered solution designed to help businesses comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by ensuring transparency and sustainability in their supply chains. The platform offers end-to-end traceability, allowing companies to map their entire supply chain, monitor deforestation risks in real-time, and streamline due diligence reporting. Key features include satellite imagery integration for early detection of land-use changes, real-time tracking of commodities to verify deforestation-free status, and seamless sharing of information with downstream customers in Europe. Additionally, the platform provides a centralized system for managing supporting documentation and integrates with the EU’s information system for due diligence statement filing.
EUDR compliance may feel like a regulatory burden — but for forward-thinking agri-exporters, processors, and sustainability teams, it’s a real opportunity. By building traceability from the ground up and digitizing every step of your sourcing journey, you’re not just avoiding penalties — you’re unlocking premium markets, building buyer trust, and future-proofing your supply chain.
The right digital platform makes this transformation faster, smarter, and scalable — even across smallholder networks or remote geographies.
Start small, move fast, and stay ahead of the curve.
Because in 2025 and beyond, traceability won’t be optional. It’ll be your license to trade.
The foundation is plot-level geo-mapping and supplier profiling. Without verified GPS coordinates and deforestation-free documentation, your due diligence statement will not be accepted by EU authorities.
Yes. Platforms like TraceX are designed to support offline-first onboarding, mobile GPS capture, and batch-level traceability — making it possible to digitize smallholder networks with ease.
Your traceability platform should allow you to auto-generate XML or PDF reports, complete with risk scores, declarations, and GPS data — ready to submit to the EU’s official system.
