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Data Fights Forests: Agribusiness Goes Digital
19 Jul
Summary
- Olam Food Ingredients aims to be forest positive by 2030.
- EU Deforestation Regulation requires verifiable due diligence statements.
- Digital systems reduce manual compliance needs by over 70%.
Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) is actively employing data-driven strategies to combat deforestation, aiming for a 'forest positive' status by 2030. This ambitious target requires not just halting forest loss but actively reversing it.
To prove its commitment amidst public scrutiny and evolving regulations, ofi utilizes advanced systems. The upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), effective late 2026, mandates precise due diligence, including detailed land perimeter maps for plots over four hectares.
Ofi addresses this by working with farmers on in-field polygon mapping and employing satellite tools like Google Earth Engine for forest cover monitoring. By the end of 2026, they will offer customers geolocation data and traceability proof for EUDR compliance.
The company's chief sustainability officer, Roel van Poppel, emphasizes that technology supports, but does not replace, the core mission of generating real impact. Accurate farm-level data, from soil conditions to crop yields, empowers agronomists to advise 2.75 million farmers facing market volatility and climate impacts.
Digitization has yielded substantial pragmatic benefits, including a 70% reduction in manual compliance tasks and enhanced data reliability. While challenges like false positives from satellite data and time-intensive farm surveys persist, technological advancements and AI are expected to mitigate these inefficiencies.
Ofi's approach also involves collaborative initiatives like TRACT, an industry-wide platform founded with competitors to standardize sustainability performance measurement and data sharing. This aims to create a common language for reporting and foster a more unified approach to sustainability.
Van Poppel advises prioritizing farmer engagement and developing comprehensive data systems that support wider sustainable farming practices, not just deforestation monitoring. Platforms like ofi's AtSource and the TRACT initiative underscore the industry's move towards standardized, shared data for improved sustainability outcomes.
