Across the globe, food companies are stepping up with commitments to protect biodiversity and restore ecosystems. At the same time, regulatory frameworks are tightening—most notably with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which requires that agricultural products entering the EU are not linked to deforestation or ecosystem degradation.
For companies sourcing cocoa, coffee, soy and other commodities through long and complex global supply chains, meeting these commitments is no small feat. The challenge is not only operational—it’s informational.
The Hidden Challenge: Data Gaps and Bottlenecks
Ensuring nature-positive sourcing begins with robust, transparent data. Yet many companies struggle with limited access to reliable, location-specific information on biodiversity impacts along their supply chains. Traceability systems often fall short of capturing ecological risk, and biodiversity data—where it exists—is fragmented or difficult to integrate into investment and procurement decisions.
Without the right data, good intentions can stall.
What is the EUDR?
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) applies to companies that import, export, or trade in the EU market and source specific commodities—cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, beef, and wood, as well as their derivatives such as chocolate, leather, and furniture. Under the EUDR, companies must perform enhanced due diligence to ensure that products placed on the EU market are not linked to deforestation after 31 December 2020. Key due diligence steps include:
- Traceability: Collecting geolocation data and sourcing information (Article 9)
- Risk assessment: Evaluating deforestation risks using defined criteria (Article 10)
- Mitigation: Taking measures if risks are more than negligible (Article 11)
The European Commission supports compliance through a central observatory with satellite data, and a digital dashboard for due diligence submissions. While certification schemes can support risk assessment, they do not replace the company’s legal responsibility to conduct due diligence. Common challenges include:
- High costs of data collection
- Limited internal IT capacity
- Poor traceability in global supply chains
- Legal uncertainty and unclear supplier information
A New Initiative to Understand the Roadblocks
In the BIOFIN-EU project, we want to better understand the real-world data challenges companies face when assessing biodiversity impacts in agricultural sourcing. Through a short survey, followed by focus group discussions and interviews with sustainability, sourcing, and data professionals, we aim to:
- Map the current data and information systems used by food companies
- Identify key gaps, bottlenecks, and barriers to effective biodiversity risk assessment
- Explore needs and expectations for future tools, metrics, and guidance
This work will directly inform the development of our science-based analytics dashboard being built by BIOFIN-EU to support better financial decisions for biodiversity.
Why Participate?
By joining this activity, food companies will have the opportunity to:
- Share their experiences and influence the design of future data solutions
- Connect with peers and experts working on similar challenges
- Demonstrate leadership in the shift toward nature-positive supply chains
- Contribute to shaping tools aligned with EU policy and the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy
This is a unique opportunity to help bridge the gap between sustainability commitments and operational action.
Get Involved
If your company is navigating biodiversity data challenges in global sourcing—whether due to the EUDR or broader corporate commitments—we invite you to get involved.
Take the short survey
Contact Us
Together, we can help unlock the data needed to drive meaningful change—for business, for biodiversity, and for the planet.
