White Paper: Empowering Farmer Cooperatives for EUDR Compliance

The G4T Digital GIS Certification Framework for a Deforestation-Free Future

Date: October 26, 2023
Author: GOOD FOR TRADE (G4T) Digital Certification Technology (DCT) Patent No.C335AYDT. Founder – Alfred Gitau Mwaura : Contact +254707503647 or Email : alfred@kenyacoffeeschool.co.ke

G4T is a registered in Kenya GIS Technology Invention. Made in Kenya 🇰🇪

Executive Summary :

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), applicable from December 30, 2024, presents a significant challenge and a monumental opportunity for Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS) and unions at the origin of key commodities like coffee, cocoa, palm oil, rubber, soy, cattle, and timber. Non-compliance means loss of market access to the EU, one of the world’s largest economies. For cooperatives, the primary hurdle is not intent but capability: how to cost-effectively collect, manage, and verify the precise geolocation and due diligence data required for thousands of smallholder farmers.

This white paper introduces the G4T Digital GIS Certification—a transformative, scalable, and cooperative-centric solution. This integrated digital system empowers FCS to seamlessly achieve EUDR compliance, turning a regulatory burden into a market advantage, enhancing transparency, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of their communities.

  1. Introduction: The EUDR Challenge for Cooperatives

The EUDR prohibits the placement of covered commodities on the EU market unless they are deforestation-free, produced in accordance with relevant legislation of the country of production, and covered by a mandatory due diligence statement.

For Cooperatives, this translates to three core obligations:

  1. Geolocation Tracking: Providing precise latitude and longitude of all plots of land where the commodities were grown, ensuring no deforestation occurred after December 31, 2020.
  2. Data Collection & Management: Systematically gathering and storing verifiable data on all member farmers, including farm size, harvest dates, and chain of custody.
  3. Risk Mitigation & Due Diligence: Assessing and mitigating the risk of non-compliance within their supply base and making this information readily available to downstream buyers.

Traditional paper-based systems are incapable of meeting these requirements at scale. The solution must be digital, accessible, and built for the unique structure of cooperatives.

  1. The G4T Digital GIS Certification Solution

The G4T platform is a comprehensive digital system designed specifically for FCS and smallholder networks. It integrates mobile technology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and blockchain-based verification to create an immutable record of compliance.

Core Components of the G4T System:

· Mobile-First Data Collection: A simple, low-data-usage mobile app allows cooperative field officers or farmers themselves to plot farm boundaries using GPS, upload photos, and input key data (e.g., farmer ID, crop type, harvest volume). This works even in areas with limited connectivity.
· Centralized GIS Dashboard: The cooperative management accesses a secure online dashboard. This portal visualizes all member farms on a map, overlays them with official deforestation alerts (e.g., NASA’s Global Forest Watch), and automatically flags potential non-compliance risks for investigation.
· Automated Due Diligence Reporting: The system generates standardized reports and digital documentation packs for each shipment, containing the necessary geolocation data and farm information.
· Blockchain-Verified Chain of Custody: Each transaction—from farm collection to processing to export—is recorded on a secure, transparent blockchain ledger. This provides irrefutable proof of a product’s origin and integrity for EU authorities and buyers.
· Farmer Management System: An integrated database manages all member information, training records, and internal audit history, simplifying risk assessment and management.

  1. The G4T Compliance Support Framework

G4T provides a complete suite of services to ensure cooperatives are fully supported on their compliance journey.

G4T Support Area How the Digital Certification Platform Integrates & Enhances It
Due Diligence Toolkit The G4T platform is the digital toolkit. It operationalizes due diligence, providing the guides, templates, and procedures within a dynamic system that manages the entire process.
Self-Assessment Tool An integrated module within the G4T platform helps companies determine EUDR applicability and obligations, with data from the system providing the concrete answers needed.
Training & Awareness G4T provides tailored training modules on operating the platform, interpreting its data, and understanding EUDR requirements for cooperative staff and members.
Certification & Advisory The G4T system generates the verified data stream that enables efficient audits. Our certification programs are built directly on the data integrity provided by the platform.
Country Benchmark Dashboard Our platform includes a user-friendly dashboard to help businesses understand country-specific risk classifications, allowing cooperatives to demonstrate their specific low-risk status.

  1. The Dashboard: Your Command Center for Compliance

The G4T system features a powerful dashboard that provides an instant overview of your compliance health, turning data into actionable insight.

The dashboard provides a live view of:

· Supplier (e.g., Kiambu Coffee Farmers Cooperative)
· Product & Volume
· Risk Assessment Outcome (with traffic-light colour coding)
· DDS Reference number
· Deforestation & Legal Compliance Status (Pass/Fail flags)
· EU Submission & Next Monitoring Dates
· ✅ Overall Compliance Indicator (A holistic red/amber/green status)

This visual management tool ensures that cooperative leadership can identify and resolve issues proactively, long before they affect shipments.

  1. The Cooperative Advantage: Beyond Compliance

Adopting the G4T system delivers transformative benefits that extend far beyond mere regulatory compliance:

  1. Market Access & Premium Pricing: EUDR compliance is a prerequisite for the EU market. G4T certification becomes a powerful sales tool, demonstrating leadership and reliability to buyers. It opens doors to sustainability-linked financing and premium markets.
  2. Operational Efficiency: Replaces cumbersome paper records with streamlined digital processes. Simplifies internal management, crop monitoring, and yield forecasting.
  3. Empowerment & Transparency: Builds trust with downstream partners. Farmers receive formal recognition for sustainable practices and can be directly connected to incentives.
  4. Risk Management: Proactively identifies and addresses issues (e.g., deforestation risks) before they become major problems with buyers or regulators.
  5. Implementation Pathway for FCS Unions
  6. Readiness Assessment: A workshop with G4T to map the cooperative’s structure, members, and technical capacity.
  7. System Setup & Customization: Configuration of the G4T platform with the cooperative’s hierarchy, member lists, and specific commodity profiles.
  8. Farmer Onboarding & Training: Mobilization teams train field officers and lead farmers on using the mobile app for data collection. Multilingual support is key.
  9. Pilot & Data Upload: A pilot phase with a select group of farmers to test the process, plot farms, and upload initial data to the GIS dashboard.
  10. Full Roll-Out & Integration: System-wide implementation across the entire cooperative membership.
  11. Verification & Certification: G4T conducts an audit based on the digital records generated by the system, leading to formal certification.
  12. Conclusion: A Strategic Partnership for a Sustainable Future

The EUDR is a catalyst for change. For forward-thinking cooperatives, it is an opportunity to future-proof their operations, secure their market position, and champion the sustainability of their members.

The G4T Digital GIS Certification provides the technological power and strategic support for EUDR compliance. Our solution ensures that cooperatives are not just passive subjects of regulation but active leaders in building transparent, deforestation-free supply chains.

Call to Action

We invite the leadership of FCS unions for coffee, cocoa, and other affected commodities to embark on this transformative journey.

Let’s schedule an initial virtual meeting to discuss your cooperative’s specific needs and demonstrate how the G4T Digital GIS Certification can be tailored for your success.

Contact us to propose a convenient time for a discussion and a live demo of our dashboard.

Call : +254707503647 or +254704375390

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