EU Space a key enabler of the EU Deforestation-Free Products Regulation

From compliance to enforcement, Earth Observation data and GNSS positioning can help promote the use of deforestation-free products.

The world's forests are disappearing at an alarming rate - by as much as 10 million hectares every year!

Driving this trend is an expansion of agricultural land, land that is linked to the production of such commodities as cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee and rubber.

As a major economy and consumer of these commodities and the products derived from them, the European Union is partially responsible for the resulting deforestation.

It also has a responsibility to help fix the problem, which is exactly what it intends to do with the Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR).

To promote the consumption of 'deforestation-free' products, the EUDR requires that any operator or trader who places certain commodities on the EU market, or exports from it, prove that the product does not originate from recently deforested land and hasn't contributed to forest degradation.

One of the best ways of doing this is with Earth Observation (EO ) and GNSS.

The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) and the new EU Observatory on Deforestation and Forest degradation are already developing EO-based tools for forest monitoring. Using Copernicus and the optical and radar instruments onboard Sentinel satellites, these tools can provide forestry stakeholders global data with a high acquisition frequency - all free of charge.

To enforce the EUDR, EU authorities can use company-provided information such as GNSS-enabled coordinates of land plots where commodities are produced, EO-based deforestation analysis or complementary data (e.g., geotagged photographs). They can also conduct thorough inspections utilising satellite monitoring tools and DNA analysis, ensuring that the commodities in question do not originate from deforested areas.

"While the regulation does not specifically require the use of EU Space, there is a huge potential for Member States and economic operators to leverage Copernicus data and services, together with the positioning accuracy of Galileo, to support activities related to the required checks on imported commodities," says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

New opportunities for Earth Observation companies

By ensuring that the products Europeans buy, use and consume don't contribute to deforestation, the EUDR could reduce carbon emissions by as much as 32 million metric tonnes a year - creating a big opportunity for Europe to meet its goal of becoming the world's first carbon neutral continent.

But beyond creating opportunities for fighting climate change, the EUDR also creates new opportunities for EO companies. "Responsible for promoting Copernicus' services, data and market uptake, EUSPA is working with the private sector to ensure commodity producers and traders have the tools they need to comply with the EUDR," confirmed Fiammetta Diani, EUSPA Head of Market, Downstream and Innovation Department.

For example, through a pilot project, EUSPA brought together 17 EO companies, coffee growers, and traders to explore how EO and Copernicus data could support operators and traders in the context of the EUDR. The project was not intended to prescribe specific solutions but rather to better understand the capabilities and limitations of using EU Space data to promote deforestation-free coffee.

As part of the project, 12 EO companies analysed 240 plots across two regions, employing diverse methodologies and data sources to assess actual and potential deforestation associated with the commodity and provide valuable insights into how satellite EO can support coffee companies in their activities. In addition, matchmaking activities and demonstrators of existing tools relevant for EUDR were carried out. Together, the findings demonstrated how EO and Copernicus can support coffee companies in aligning with EUDR requirements. The lesson learned and outcomes of this project including full report and one pager are published here:

View and download the report
View and download the one-pager

"These activities are case studies on how companies can use EU Space technology to help address some of Europe's most pressing challenges," concludes da Costa.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).