Cocoa land use maps developed by Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are extra correct than broadly used world datasets, in accordance with a brand new evaluation by the World Cocoa Basis (WCF) and the Alliance of Bioversity Worldwide and CIAT. The findings supply chocolate corporations a clearer path to compliance forward of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which takes impact in December 2025.
The examine evaluated how properly present maps assist cocoa corporations monitor land use, confirm sourcing areas and cut back deforestation dangers. The outcomes present that nationwide maps outperform world open-access instruments, making them extra dependable for due diligence, reporting and sustainable sourcing.
“This evaluation highlights the significance of utilizing essentially the most correct maps obtainable — and of requiring third-party accuracy assessments from business suppliers,” stated Louis Reymondin, senior scientist on the Alliance of Bioversity Worldwide and CIAT.
Why map accuracy issues for compliance
Underneath the EUDR, corporations should show that cocoa getting into the EU market was not grown on land deforested after 31 December 2020. To fulfill this requirement, companies should present exact, plot-level traceability and verifiable geolocation knowledge for all cocoa sourced.
With out correct maps, there’s a major danger of false reporting, non-compliance, and even exclusion from the EU market.
“Inaccurate knowledge results in inaccurate reporting, posing a major danger to corporations, governments and producers,” stated Michael Matarasso, WCF influence director and head of North America. “This work ensures everybody within the cocoa provide chain could make knowledgeable, compliant selections.”
Contained in the map evaluation
The WCF and Alliance evaluated 14 land cowl and land use datasets generally utilized by cocoa corporations. These included nationwide maps from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, in addition to world instruments like Satelligence, Dynamic World and World Forest Change.
Every dataset was assessed in opposition to 31 standards grouped below 4 classes:
Accuracy: does the map appropriately distinguish between forest and cocoa manufacturing areas?
Completeness: is the dataset complete and updated?
Knowledge administration: how traceable and accessible are the info sources?
Inclusiveness: does the method embody smallholder farmer enter?
The evaluation discovered that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire’s official maps supplied the very best accuracy, particularly in comparison with world open-access datasets.
“Establishing widespread requirements for map high quality will guarantee all actors are aligned and talking the identical language,” stated Dr Serge Kotchi, director of agriculture, geographic data and digital know-how at Côte d’Ivoire’s Bureau Nationwide d’Études Strategies et de Développement (BNETD).
What the outcomes imply for chocolate corporations
Subsequent steps for provide chain leaders
To organize for EUDR, cocoa corporations ought to:
Evaluation and improve their mapping instruments
Prioritise engagement with nationwide programs in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire
Push for impartial accuracy evaluations of any business datasets used
Align traceability reporting with evolving authorized and sustainability frameworks
For producers and retailers, the message is evident: audit your knowledge sources and have interaction with nationwide traceability programs. WCF’s findings counsel that relying solely on world or business map suppliers is not ample — particularly with out impartial verification of accuracy.
The report additionally factors to wider systemic points: Most maps don’t presently embody enter from smallholder farmers. Many open-access datasets are usually not tailor-made to cocoa-producing areas and business suppliers ought to be held to impartial assessments earlier than their maps are utilized in regulatory reporting
Sector progress and future priorities
Since 2018, the cocoa sector has scaled efforts to enhance traceability and sustainability and 43m tree seedlings have been distributed to advertise agroforestry. Certainly, in 2023, 83% of cocoa in Ghana and 82% in Côte d’Ivoire was traced to plot degree by taking part corporations.
To construct on this progress, the map accuracy examine is a part of a broader push to create science-based, standardised instruments that assist corporations meet regulatory and local weather commitments.
“We’d like better funding in enhancing open-access maps and creating nationwide programs that ship high-accuracy knowledge,” stated Matarasso. “The final word purpose is a deforestation and GHG-free cocoa provide chain.”
With regulatory deadlines quick approaching, the sector should act now to make sure the info driving compliance efforts is match for goal.
