Cluster opens EUDR readiness programme for exporting members
Exports to the EU require geolocation, deforestation-free evidence and due-diligence statements. A shared programme makes that affordable.
The EU Deforestation Regulation requires every consignment of cocoa entering the EU to carry geolocation coordinates for the plots where it was grown, evidence that the land was not deforested after 31 December 2020, and a due-diligence statement filed by the operator.
For a single cooperative, GPS-mapping hundreds of smallholder plots is a heavy lift. Shared across a cluster, it becomes routine field work. The readiness programme pools mapping teams, a common data standard, and legal templates so that any member can produce compliant documentation for their buyers.
The three levels
- Not started - no plot mapping yet; sales remain regional
- In progress - mapping underway, polygon coverage growing
- Ready - full polygon coverage and a tested due-diligence pack
Each member's traceability profile now shows these levels publicly, so buyers can see at a glance who is ready for the EU market. Contact the secretariat to book a mapping team for your area.