G4T Toolkit variables for EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) compliance.
The EUDR (entered into force June 2023, application starts December 2024 for large companies, June 2025 for SMEs) requires that products like coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, cattle, rubber, and wood placed on or exported from the EU market are deforestation-free, produced in compliance with relevant local laws, and traceable to plot of land.
A toolkit for compliance typically organizes variables across traceability, due diligence, monitoring, and reporting.
Here’s a structured list of key variables you’ll want in your EUDR compliance toolkit:
1. Product & Supply Chain Identification
- Product category (coffee, cocoa, timber, etc.)
- Volume/quantity (kg, tonnes, liters)
- Customs code (HS code)
- Supplier name(s)
- Exporter/importer details
- Batch/lot ID
2. Geolocation & Traceability
- Geolocation coordinates (polygon or point data of farm/plot)
- Farm/plantation size (ha)
- Ownership / land tenure information
- Production area boundary files (GIS / shapefiles)
- Supply chain mapping (farm → cooperative → trader → exporter → EU importer)
3. Deforestation-Free Verification
- Cut-off date: evidence that no deforestation after 31 Dec 2020
- Satellite imagery monitoring data
- Land use change analysis (forest cover, deforestation alerts)
- Certification status (if applicable, e.g., FSC, Rainforest Alliance)
- Independent audit / verification reports
4. Legal Compliance
- Proof of legal land ownership or use rights
- Compliance with labor laws (employment contracts, minimum wage, health & safety)
- Compliance with environmental laws (permits, water use, pesticide regulations)
- Harvest permits / export licenses
5. Due Diligence Statement (DDS)
- Risk assessment outcome (low, medium, high risk)
- Mitigation measures (training, supplier engagement, audits, satellite monitoring)
- Declaration of negligible risk
- DDS reference number (to EU info system)
6. Risk Assessment Variables
- Country risk classification (low / standard risk as per EU list)
- Farm/region deforestation risk (based on GIS data)
- Corruption risk / governance index (World Bank indicators)
- Supply chain complexity (direct vs indirect sourcing)
- Traceability gaps (yes/no)
7. Monitoring & Reporting
- Frequency of monitoring (annual, quarterly)
- Corrective action logs
- Farmer training records (sustainability, legality, traceability)
- Complaints / grievance mechanisms
- Data submission to EU central system
8. Supporting Data & Documentation
- Supplier contracts & codes of conduct
- Chain-of-custody records
- Sustainability/impact KPIs (e.g., carbon footprint, biodiversity protection)
- Digital IDs (QR code, blockchain record, digital wallet for farmers)
🔑 In practice: A toolkit looks like a digital checklist or database where each supplier or farmer has a profile with these variables filled in. Data could be integrated with:
- GIS systems (for land use monitoring)
- Blockchain or traceability platforms
- Farmer registries & cooperative databases
- EU Due Diligence Information System (to submit statements)