How to Collect EUDR Geolocation Data from Suppliers: A Practical Guide

Geolocation data is the single most common reason a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) is rejected or a shipment is held at customs. If you are an operator placing EUDR-covered goods on the EU market, you need plot-level coordinates from every supplier before you can file. This guide tells you exactly what to ask for, how to ask it, and what to watch out for.

Not legal advice. This is practical guidance based on the regulation text and official Commission sources. For decisions specific to your business, confirm with the official sources we link or a qualified adviser.

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Why geolocation is the hardest part

^[1] defines geolocation as "the geographical location of a plot of land described by means of latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to at least one latitude and one longitude point and using at least six decimal digits." That definition sounds simple. In practice, it means you need farm-level GPS data from every plot that contributed to a shipment - including plots belonging to smallholder farmers who may never have used a GPS device.

Important: Geolocation data is the cornerstone of EUDR compliance. It is information that some suppliers are reluctant to share and that few existing systems capture at the required granularity. Start collecting it early, because supplier data is consistently the slowest part of the process.

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Exactly what to ask each supplier for

Here is the complete list of what you need. Send this as a structured request, not a vague email.

1. Coordinates for every production plot

The format depends on plot size:

• Plots under 4 hectares: a single GPS point, one latitude and one longitude in WGS84 decimal degrees, to at least six decimal places. Example: 1.234567, 36.789012. A single coordinate point is legally sufficient for plots under 4 ha, so do not ask smallholders for a polygon if their plot is small; it creates unnecessary friction and is not required.
• Plots of 4 hectares or more: a polygon, a series of GPS points that trace the perimeter of the plot. ^[2] confirms that for plots over four hectares, geolocation must be provided using polygons with latitude and longitude points of six decimal digits to describe the perimeter of each plot. Each polygon must represent a single plot; if a product comes from several plots, you need a separate polygon for each.
• Cattle establishments: a single point per location where the cattle were kept is sufficient; polygons are not required for livestock.

^[1] requires coordinates to use at least six decimal digits of precision in both latitude and longitude. Fewer decimal places means lower precision and a higher chance of rejection.

The preferred submission format for the EU Information System is GeoJSON with WGS84 (EPSG:4326) projection. A CSV with clearly labelled latitude and longitude columns also works for most workflows.

2. Country of production

This is the country where the commodity was grown, harvested, or raised, not the country where it was processed or manufactured. A chocolate bar made in Germany from Ghanaian cocoa requires Ghana as the country of production. Mixing up country of manufacture with country of harvest is one of the most common errors that triggers a DDS rejection.

3. Evidence of legal production

You need documentation showing the commodity was produced in compliance with the relevant laws of the country of production. This typically includes land-use permits, land tenure records, or equivalent official documentation. ^[1] requires operators to collect the country of production, the geolocation of all plots, and evidence that the product is legally produced.

4. An existing DDS reference number (if applicable)

If your supplier has already filed a Due Diligence Statement covering the goods, ask for the DDS reference number. ^[3] requires only the first downstream operator in the chain to collect and retain DDS reference numbers; operators further along the chain do not need to pass them on. If you receive a valid reference number, you mostly just keep it and pass it on; you do not need to re-collect all the underlying plot data yourself.

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The 2026 simplification: do not over-ask

^[4] introduced a simplified regime for micro and small primary operators (MSPOs), natural persons or micro/small undertakings established in a low-risk country who directly place on the market or export products they themselves have grown, harvested, or raised.

For qualifying MSPOs, the rules are lighter:

• They submit a one-time simplified declaration rather than a full DDS per shipment.
• ^[4] confirms that micro and small primary operators have the option to replace geolocation information with the postal address of the plots of land or establishment concerned, provided that the postal address clearly corresponds to the geographic location.

The practical implication: if your supplier is a micro or small primary operator in a low-risk country, a verifiable postal address may be enough. Do not demand GPS polygons from them if a postal address clearly identifies the land. Asking for more than the regulation requires wastes everyone's time and can damage supplier relationships.

Country risk classifications are still under review, so check the EUDR Country Risk List before deciding which simplified route applies.

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Common failure modes

These are the mistakes that most often hold up shipments or trigger a DDS rejection.

Vague requests get vague answers. Sending a supplier a general email asking for "GPS coordinates" without specifying the format, precision, or file type almost always produces unusable data. Use a structured template with a clear spec.

Smallholders and offline suppliers. ^[5] notes that smallholders produce over 80% of global cocoa, and only 29% of Sub-Saharan Africa has internet access, making offline-first mobile tools and cooperative-based onboarding the only scalable compliance pathways for many supply chains. If your supply chain runs through smallholder-dominated regions, you cannot rely on suppliers to self-report coordinates. Work through cooperatives or appoint local authorised representatives to collect data on their behalf. ^[6] confirms that forestry cooperatives can submit simplified declarations on behalf of their members.

Wrong contact. The person who signs your purchase order often has no idea where the farm is. Ask specifically for the sustainability, traceability, or field operations contact.

Outdated coordinates. Fields change, boundaries shift, and ownership updates happen. Coordinates collected two seasons ago may no longer match the current harvest plot. Build a refresh cycle into your supplier agreements.

Confusing plot area with administrative region. ^[7] notes that administrative region coordinates are not acceptable; the regulation requires plot-level specificity. A coordinate pointing to a district capital or a country centroid will fail verification.

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Step-by-step: how to run the collection process

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A note for non-EU suppliers

^[2] confirms that producers and companies in non-EU countries do not have obligations under the EUDR unless they place products on the EU market, but they may still be asked to provide location information to help EU-based companies meet their requirements.

If your EU buyer is asking you for geolocation data, they are not being difficult; they legally cannot file their DDS without it. Providing accurate coordinates protects your access to the EU market. The EUDR Geolocation Tool is free to use and requires no account.

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What to do next

• Get the templates: Free Supplier Data-Request Templates, copy-paste emails, a data spec, and a ready CSV template.
• Map your plots: EUDR Geolocation Tool, capture WGS84 coordinates to six decimal places, draw polygons, and export GeoJSON or CSV.
• Check your full obligations: EUDR Readiness Checklist, a plain-English checklist from "what is this?" to a filed DDS, with SME and Operator editions.

Not sure whether the EUDR applies to your product at all? Start with the Scope Checker.

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Collecting this from every supplier by hand is the slow part. Spureon ingests and validates supplier geolocation at scale, checks it against deforestation data, and takes it through to a filed Due Diligence Statement. See doing EUDR by hand vs. automated.