Deforestation Risk Assessment Methodology

Traceability is key to ensuring sustainable cocoa that meets global consumer expectations. For this, companies need consistent data on forest cover, farm locations, and cocoa volumes across all producing countries. Without unified systems, it's difficult to guarantee the sustainability of cocoa to consumers and regulators.

The European Union's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), effective from 2025, requires proof that cocoa and other key commodities are produced on land free from deforestation since the end of 2020. The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) supports its members meeting these new traceability standards.

Developed in collaboration with remote sensing leader Satelligence, the European Cocoa Association (ECA), and the European Forest Institute (EFI), this innovative methodology guides companies through the process of gathering and cleaning farm polygon data, comparing it against forest baseline sources, and detecting deforestation.

The methodology strengthens the industry’s approach to data and processes and builds confidence in cocoa traceability and sustainability. It allows companies to assure stakeholders that the cocoa flowing through their supply chains is EUDR-compliant. Additionally, it helps cocoa farmers maintain market access to the EU, reducing the risk of “false positives”—cases where deforestation is wrongly detected.

This image shows the methodology applied in Satelligence's platform, where cocoa plots have been assessed for deforestation risk since Dec. 31st, 2020.

“This new WCF methodology helps ready the cocoa sector for EUDR compliance and is an important milestone in WCF’s overall traceability strategy. By fostering industry alignment and collective action, we’re enabling science-based, standardized best practices that will drive real impact across the sector.”

Chris Vincent

President WCF