OECD-FAO Business Handbook on Deforestation and Due Diligence in Agricultural Supply Chains

Annex A. Resources

Sources of data on forests and deforestation

Numerous datasets, processing tools, and platforms exist to help gain information on forest area, forest type, deforestation, and reforestation. Datasets refer to either the primary data or the processed data used to produce information. All datasets listed here are freely available to download (e.g. from a website) or view (e.g. in a web data portal). Once downloaded, datasets can be used in more sophisticated analyses using geospatial data processing software.

Processing tools are individual algorithms or software that can be used to add value to data or information to produce higher-order products and analyses. Most tools are freely available, though some require specific licensing for commercial use. Processing platforms are web-based or desktop collections of tools capable of providing end-to‑end support for data access and processing. Platforms, as well, can be free to use or require licensing for commercial applications. Collectively, these resources can be very valuable in tracking supply chain impacts at local to global scales.

When seeking and using data on forests, it is important to remember some key points about the information available. Tree cover and forest are different. Tree cover describes a biophysical characteristic of the Earth’s surface (e.g. there are trees). Forest, however, is a land use and may, or may not, have tree cover due to management practices (e.g. temporary tree removal from harvest as part of normal management cycles or due to fire). Deforestation, then, refers to a loss of tree cover and a concurrent change in land use from forest to non-forest. Forest degradation refers to a loss of tree cover but no change in land use.

Clearly understanding these terms will help to prioritise datasets based on the information sought.

When looking for information on deforestation in a specific country, a company may wish to reach out to the national focal points for REDD+ or National Forest Monitoring Systems for available public data. 

The following tables are not comprehensive and only intended to provide a robust snapshot of available tools and platforms to access forest change related information as of June 2022. Most of the information is synthesised and updated regularly in several lists, such as REDD Compass (https://www.reddcompass.org/) or Open MRV (https://openmrv.org). The reader is invited to consult them for more in-depth understanding of the data and tools.

Table A A.1.  Primary datasets

Primary datasets	Info Type	Spatial Resolution	Open Source	Producer	Ease of Use	Update	First data available	Geographic Scale	URL
MODIS mission	Optical Imagery	250‑1 000m	Yes	NASA	Moderate	Day	2000	Global	https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Landsat mission	Optical Imagery	30m	Yes	NASA	Moderate	16‑day	1972	Global	https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Copernicus mission	Optical and Radar Imagery	10‑20m	Yes	ESA	Moderate	5‑day	2015	Global	https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus
Planet NICFI	Optical Imagery	3‑5m	Made available through the NICFI programme until at least 2024	Planet	Moderate	Daily	2015	Tropical	https://www.planet.com/nicfi/

Table A A.2.  Processed datasets

Processed datasets	Info Type	Spatial Resolution	Open Source	Producer	Ease of Use	Update	First data available	Geographic Scale	URL
UMD GLAD	Imagery, tree cover, change, alerts, fire	30m	Yes	University of Maryland, United States of America	Easy	Month	2000	Global	https://glad.umd.edu/ https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/products/gfcc30fccv001/ https://glad.umd.edu/dataset/gedi https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/
JRC TMF	Forest cover change incl. degradation	10‑30m	Yes	Joint Research Centre, EU	Easy	Annual	1992	Tropical	https://forobs.jrc.ec.europa.eu/TMF/explorer.php
GLAD alerts (L&S)	Alerts	30m	Yes	University of Maryland, United States of America	Moderate	Month	2017	Global (L), Latin America (S)	https://glad.umd.edu/dataset/glad-forest-alerts
RADD alerts (S)	Alerts	20m	Yes	Wageningen University, the Netherlands	Moderate	Month	2020	Primary humid tropical forest	http://radd-alert.wur.nl
Dynamic World	LCLU	20m	Yes	Google, World Resources Institute	Moderate	Day	2015	Global	https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/catalog/GOOGLE_DYNAMICWORLD_V1
ESA CCI	LCLU	300m	Yes	ESA	Moderate	Annual	1992	Global	http://maps.elie.ucl.ac.be/CCI/viewer/index.php
ESA Worldcover	LCLU	10m	Yes	ESA	Easy	Annual	2020	Global	https://worldcover2020.esa.int/viewer
JAXA Forest / Non-forest	Tree cover	25‑1 000m	Yes	JAXA	Easy	Annual	2007	Global	https://earth.jaxa.jp/en/data/2555/index.html
JRC TMF	Forest cover change incl. degradation	10‑30m	Yes	Joint Research Centre, EU	Easy	Annual	1992	Tropical	https://forobs.jrc.ec.europa.eu/TMF/explorer.php
Crowther Lab layers	Forest restoration potential, biomass, tree density	30m‑300m	Yes	ETH Zurich	Easy	-	-	Global	https://crowtherlab.com/maps/#/

Table A A.3.  Data access platforms / tools

Data access platforms / tools	Description	URL
Global Forest Watch	Global Forest Watch (GFW 2.0) is an online platform led by WRI that provides data and tools for monitoring forests. GFW 2.0 provides a dashboard with precalculated zonal statistics on various tree cover change and forest extent products, essentially at national and subnational levels. It also allows users to visualise the GLAD datasets in a geoportal and refine those calculations for user-defined zones.	www.globlaforestwatch.org
Terra‑i	Terra‑i detects land-cover changes resulting from human activities in near real-time, producing updates every 16 days. Currently it works for the whole of Latin America and the tropics. It is led by CIAT.	www.terra-i.org
FAO Forest Resources Assessment series	FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) provides essential information for understanding the extent of forest resources, their condition, management and uses, at national level.	https://fra-data.fao.org/
OpenForis EarthMap	EarthMap is a tool for quick historical environmental and climate analysis based on Google Earth Engine and developed within FAO’s Open Foris Initiative.	https://earthmap.org
MapBiomas	Gathering and releasing LULUCF information in the Pan-Amazon; Brazilian Cerrado, Pampas and Pantanal; El Chaco region; and Indonesian tropical forests.	https://mapbiomas.org

Table A A.4.  Data processing platforms / tools

Data processing platforms / tools	Description	URL
Google Earth Engine	Google Earth Engine is a geospatial processing service, powered by Google Cloud Platform. The purpose of Earth Engine is to: provide an interactive platform for geospatial algorithm development at scale; enable high-impact, data-driven science; and make substantive progress on global challenges that involve large geospatial datasets.	https://code.earthengine.google.com/
OpenForis SEPAL	SEPAL is a cloud computing platform that allows users to query and process satellite data quickly and efficiently, tailor their products for local needs, and produce sophisticated and relevant geospatial analyses quickly. Harnessing cloud-based supercomputers and modern geospatial data infrastructures (e.g. Google Earth Engine), SEPAL enables access and processing of a wide range of satellite data.	https://sepal.io
OpenForis Collect Earth	Collect Earth is a tool that enables data collection through Google Earth. In conjunction with Google Earth, Bing Maps and Google Earth Engine, users can analyse high and very high resolution satellite imagery for a wide variety of purposes.	https://openforis.org/tools/collect-earth/
OpenForis Collect Earth Online	Collect Earth Online (CEO) is the next generation of web-based, crowd-sourcing technology for Earth Science analyses. It allows users to collect reference data using high-resolution satellite images and big-data analysis through Google Earth Engine. Multiple users can simultaneously collect information.	https://collect.earth/
Open Data Cubes	The Open Data Cube (ODC) is an Open Source Geospatial Data Management and Analysis Software project that helps harness the power of satellite data. At its core, the ODC is a set of Python libraries and PostgreSQL database that helps users work with geospatial raster data. The ODC provides an open and freely accessible exploitation architecture and seeks to foster a community to develop, sustain, and grow the technology and the breadth and depth of its applications for societal benefit.	https://www.opendatacube.org/
Digital Earth Africa	The DEA platform and services enable African Governments, industry and decision makers to track changes across the continent in unprecedented detail. This provides valuable insights for better decision-making across many areas, including flooding, drought, soil and coastal erosion, agriculture, forest cover, land use and land cover change, water availability and quality, and changes to human settlements.	https://www.digitalearthafrica.org/
EU Forestry Thematic Exploitation Platform	The Forestry Thematic Exploitation Platform (Forestry TEP) enables commercial, governmental and research users in the forestry sector globally to efficiently access satellite data based processing services and tools for generating value‑added forest information products. Via the platform, the users can also create and share their own processing services, tools and generated products.	https://f-tep.com/
Proposed EU Observatory	Not yet in operation, the EU Observatory on deforestation and forest degradation is aimed to provide open, transparent and free information related to forest loss, degradation and EU trade in relevant commodities and products.

Table A A.5.  Supply chain mapping tools

Supply chain mapping tools	Description	URL
SPOTT	SPOTT is a free, online platform assessing commodity producers, processors and traders on their public disclosure regarding their organisation, policies, and practices related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. It provides a dashboard to download assessment data, analyse trends, and access further resources.	https://www.spott.org
TRASE	Trase is a supply chain mapping tool at scale with three main characteristics: It systematically links individual supply chain actors to specific, subnational production regions, and the sustainability risks and investment opportunities associated with those regions; It identifies the individual companies that export, ship and import a given traded commodity; and It covers all of the exports of a given commodity from a given country of production.	https://supplychains.trase.earth
Open Land Contracts	OpenLandContracts is a global repository of publicly available contracts and related documents for agriculture, forestry, and other land-based investment projects. Users can access original documents in PDF form; the full text of each contract; plain language summaries of contracts’ key social, human rights, environmental, fiscal, and operational provisions; and tools to search and compare contracts.	https://openlandcontracts.org

Voluntary sustainability standards and certification systems

Voluntary sustainability standards1 and certification systems2 based on them have an important potential role to play in due diligence frameworks covering deforestation, alongside other tools. They often contain very detailed sets of environmental, social and economic criteria which products certified to their standard must meet, together with chain of custody, verification, assurance and monitoring systems for the certification process. Many standard systems have strong participatory and inclusive elements, either because they are organised as multi-stakeholder commodity roundtables or because their standard is regularly reviewed in a participatory process, or both; however, there are significant variations between the different standards and schemes and their governance.

In principle, different types of VSS and certifications can be used as:3

• A means of adopting criteria related to the protection of forests and avoiding deforestation after a specific cut-off date for an enterprise’s forest policy.

• A source of information in the risk assessment step of a due diligence system.

• A tool to be used in the risk mitigation step of a due diligence system.

• A framework for engaging with and supporting farmers and other actors in the supply chain.

Some VSS and certification systems have developed simpler systems for the verification of a more limited range of criteria when certified materials are mixed with non-certified materials that, for example, are required not to have been harvested illegally. There are also some simpler legality verification schemes, which verify whether products have been produced in accordance with national laws in their countries of origin; these include laws related to deforestation.

VSS and Certification schemes can provide valuable tools to help enterprises implement the steps described in this Handbook, and, importantly, they often also incorporate a wider range of criteria than just forest conservation and land use change. However, companies retain ultimate responsibility for their due diligence and have a responsibility under each Step of the due diligence process. A certification, however strong or comprehensive, cannot replace this responsibility. Instead, companies that use certifications should check and build on the information they receive through their own risk-based checks. Certifications may also not satisfy all the requirements of national due diligence legislation. They should be viewed as an important potential component of, and information source for, the enterprise’s due diligence policy, not a substitute for it.

The table below lists some of the main voluntary sustainability standards and certification schemes for commodities mentioned in this Handbook. Only some of those with international coverage are listed; there are also many national and regional schemes, particularly, though not only, for timber and wood products. The table also does not include commodity round tables that have not yet developed certification schemes; examples include the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber.

There are also government-supported (and sometimes mandated) standards, listed in Table A A.7.

Table A A.6.  Voluntary sustainability standards and certification schemes

Standard / certification scheme	Commodities covered	URL
Bonsucro	Sugarcane	https://bonsucro.com
Fairtrade	Wide range of products, including cocoa, coffee, sugar, tea	https://www.fairtrade.net
4C Association (Common Code for the Coffee Community)	Coffee	https://www.4c-services.org
International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC)	Agricultural and forestry biomass, biogenic wastes and residues; mainly used for biofuel feedstocks such as vegetable oils	https://www.iscc-system.org
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)	Wood products	https://fsc.org
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) (recognises national forest certification systems aligned with PEFC standards)	Wood products	https://pefc.org
ProTerra	Any agricultural commodity; mainly used for soy	https://www.proterrafoundation.org
Rainforest Alliance	Wide range of products, including cocoa, coffee, palm oil, tea	https://www.rainforest-alliance.org
Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS)	Corn, soy	https://responsiblesoy.org
Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB)	Wide range of bio-based feedstock and biomass-derived material; mainly used for biofuel feedstocks	https://rsb.org
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)	Palm oil	https://rspo.org
Sustainable Biomass Programme (SBP)	Woody biomass used in large‑scale industrial energy production	https://sbp-cert.org

Table A A.7.  National sustainability standards and certification schemes

Standard / certification scheme	Commodities covered	URL
African Standard for Sustainable Cocoa	Cocoa	Not available
Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO)	Palm oil	Not available
Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil	Palm oil	https://www.mpocc.org.my/about-mspo

Other relevant resources

Table A A.8.  Other relevant resources

Name	Description	URL
Accountability Framework	Set of norms, definitions, and guidance to achieve ethical supply chains in agriculture and forestry, aiming to bring clarity and consistency in how companies set commitments, take action, and monitor progress toward achieving supply chains free from deforestation, conversion, and human rights violations. Includes protocols and guidelines for many of the steps discussed in this Handbook.	https://accountability-framework.org
CDP Forests	Framework for companies to measure and manage forest-related risks and opportunities, report on progress, and commit to action for the restoration of forests and ecosystems.	https://www.cdp.net/en/forests
‘Collective tenure rights for REDD+ implementation and sustainable development’	Technical paper providing information and case studies on the contribution of collective tenure rights to halting deforestation and climate change mitigation (FAO/UN-REDD Programme).	https://doi.org/10.4060/cb3521en
FAO Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Manual	Provides information for practitioners about the right to FPIC and how it can be implemented in six steps.	https://www.fao.org/3/i6190e/i6190e.pdf
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)	Wide range of sustainability reporting standards.	https://www.globalreporting.org
ISEAL	Network of voluntary sustainability standards, including many of those listed above. Sets Codes of Good Practice and Credibility Principles to help users make informed choices over credible standards.	https://www.isealalliance.org
OECD Alignment Assessments process	Seeks to evaluate the alignment of industry or multi-stakeholder initiatives, such as certification systems, with the recommendations of OECD Due Diligence Guidance for RBC and the sectoral due diligence guidances.	https://www.oecd.org/corporate/industry-initiatives-alignment-assessment.htm
OECD e‑learning Academy on Responsible Business Conduct	Courses include OECD Due Diligence for Agriculture and Seafood Supply Chains.	https://mneguidelines.oecd.org/oecd-e-learning-academy-on-responsible-business-conduct.htm
Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems. Committee on World Food Security.	The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) endorsed the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems on 15 October 2014.They seek to Address the core elements of what makes investment in agriculture and food systems responsible; Identify who the key stakeholders are, and their respective roles and responsibilities with respect to responsible investment in agriculture and food systems; Serve as a framework to guide the actions of all stakeholders engaged in agriculture and food systems by defining Principles which can promote much needed responsible investment, enhance livelihoods, and guard against and mitigate risks to food security and nutrition	https://www.fao.org/3/au866e/au866e.pdf
Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT)	Internationally endorsed Guidelines that serve as a reference and set out principles and internationally accepted standards for the responsible governance of tenure. Accompanied by technical guides, including on respecting free, prior and informed consent, and e‑learning courses.	https://www.fao.org/tenure/voluntary-guidelines/en/

Notes

← 1.  For more information on VSS and their role, see the United Nations Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSSS) website: https://unfss.org/home/about-unfss/

← 2.  Certification is defined by ISEAL as: “The issuance of a third-party statement that fulfilment of specified conformance requirements have been demonstrated (ISEAL, adapted from ISO 17 000)”. See https://www.isealalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource/2018- 02/ISEAL_Assurance_Code_Version_2.0.pdf

← 3.  Please see the Background Note on The role of sustainability initiatives in mandatory Due Diligence, for more information: https://mneguidelines.oecd.org/the-role-of-sustainability-initiatives-in-mandatory-due-diligence-note-for-policy makers.pdf