Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestry
Abstract Not all good intentions lead to effective and fair policy designs, as their implementation creates new problems. The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) may be an example. In targeting ‘deforestation‐free’ trade, it forces a complex social–ecological reality into an oversimplifie...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | People and Nature |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70088 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849428685638074368 |
|---|---|
| author | Meine vanNoordwijk Sonya Dewi Peter A. Minang Rhett D. Harrison Beria Leimona Andre Ekadinata Paul Burgers Maja Slingerland Marieke Sassen Cathy Watson Jeffrey Sayer |
| author_facet | Meine vanNoordwijk Sonya Dewi Peter A. Minang Rhett D. Harrison Beria Leimona Andre Ekadinata Paul Burgers Maja Slingerland Marieke Sassen Cathy Watson Jeffrey Sayer |
| author_sort | Meine vanNoordwijk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Not all good intentions lead to effective and fair policy designs, as their implementation creates new problems. The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) may be an example. In targeting ‘deforestation‐free’ trade, it forces a complex social–ecological reality into an oversimplified forest–non‐forest representation. The forest definition used refers to tree cover but excludes farmer‐managed agroforestry (AF). Not all tree cover indicates forest, as forest‐like forms of agriculture (AF) exist, for example producing much of the worlds' cacao, coffee and rubber. The EUDR design trusts maps and relies on detailed spatial data to verify the deforestation‐free claims needed for access to EU markets. Tree cover is observable in remote sensing; the intended exclusion of AF is not. No map is perfect but for global forest maps prepared for EUDR use there is 18% chance a forest pixel is considered non‐forest in other data, all supposedly based on the same forest definition and cut‐off date. Map errors imply two types of risk: non‐compliant imports to the EU (that ‘fraud prevention’ tries to avoid) or unjustified exclusion (collateral damage). Globally, the EUDR maps claim 12% more forest in 2020 than national data compiled by FAO suggests; in specific countries, the gap is wider. The probability that an AF garden producing coffee cocoa or rubber is (erroneously) mapped as forest is two‐thirds for a study in Indonesia. Elsewhere similar problems have been noted. Data sources beyond direct earth observation will be needed to legally establish pre‐2021 agroforestry as a source of EUDR‐compliant commodity trade. We present a typology for such evidence. Evidence can be based on direct observations on the ground or remotely, based on what people say and on accounts of what they did. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aa47492f056b4657ac8e76a72d37b4b5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2575-8314 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | People and Nature |
| spelling | doaj-art-aa47492f056b4657ac8e76a72d37b4b52025-08-20T03:28:37ZengWileyPeople and Nature2575-83142025-07-01771713172310.1002/pan3.70088Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestryMeine vanNoordwijk0Sonya Dewi1Peter A. Minang2Rhett D. Harrison3Beria Leimona4Andre Ekadinata5Paul Burgers6Maja Slingerland7Marieke Sassen8Cathy Watson9Jeffrey Sayer10Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR‐ICRAF) Nairobi KenyaCentre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR‐ICRAF) Bogor IndonesiaCentre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR‐ICRAF) Nairobi KenyaCentre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR‐ICRAF) Nairobi KenyaCentre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR‐ICRAF) Bogor IndonesiaCentre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR‐ICRAF) Bogor IndonesiaCO2Operate Woerden the NetherlandsPlant Production Systems Wageningen University and Research Wageningen the NetherlandsPlant Production Systems Wageningen University and Research Wageningen the NetherlandsCentre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR‐ICRAF) Nairobi KenyaDepartment of Forest and Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia CanadaAbstract Not all good intentions lead to effective and fair policy designs, as their implementation creates new problems. The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) may be an example. In targeting ‘deforestation‐free’ trade, it forces a complex social–ecological reality into an oversimplified forest–non‐forest representation. The forest definition used refers to tree cover but excludes farmer‐managed agroforestry (AF). Not all tree cover indicates forest, as forest‐like forms of agriculture (AF) exist, for example producing much of the worlds' cacao, coffee and rubber. The EUDR design trusts maps and relies on detailed spatial data to verify the deforestation‐free claims needed for access to EU markets. Tree cover is observable in remote sensing; the intended exclusion of AF is not. No map is perfect but for global forest maps prepared for EUDR use there is 18% chance a forest pixel is considered non‐forest in other data, all supposedly based on the same forest definition and cut‐off date. Map errors imply two types of risk: non‐compliant imports to the EU (that ‘fraud prevention’ tries to avoid) or unjustified exclusion (collateral damage). Globally, the EUDR maps claim 12% more forest in 2020 than national data compiled by FAO suggests; in specific countries, the gap is wider. The probability that an AF garden producing coffee cocoa or rubber is (erroneously) mapped as forest is two‐thirds for a study in Indonesia. Elsewhere similar problems have been noted. Data sources beyond direct earth observation will be needed to legally establish pre‐2021 agroforestry as a source of EUDR‐compliant commodity trade. We present a typology for such evidence. Evidence can be based on direct observations on the ground or remotely, based on what people say and on accounts of what they did. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70088agroforestrycacaocoffeeforest definitionrubber |
| spellingShingle | Meine vanNoordwijk Sonya Dewi Peter A. Minang Rhett D. Harrison Beria Leimona Andre Ekadinata Paul Burgers Maja Slingerland Marieke Sassen Cathy Watson Jeffrey Sayer Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestry People and Nature agroforestry cacao coffee forest definition rubber |
| title | Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestry |
| title_full | Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestry |
| title_fullStr | Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestry |
| title_short | Beyond imperfect maps: Evidence for EUDR‐compliant agroforestry |
| title_sort | beyond imperfect maps evidence for eudr compliant agroforestry |
| topic | agroforestry cacao coffee forest definition rubber |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70088 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT meinevannoordwijk beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT sonyadewi beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT peteraminang beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT rhettdharrison beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT berialeimona beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT andreekadinata beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT paulburgers beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT majaslingerland beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT mariekesassen beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT cathywatson beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry AT jeffreysayer beyondimperfectmapsevidenceforeudrcompliantagroforestry |