Supplier geolocation and data requests

How to collect EUDR geolocation data from suppliers

Under the EU Deforestation Regulation you have to know exactly where each in-scope product was grown or raised before you can sell it in the EU. That means collecting GPS coordinates, proof of legal production and a few other details from your suppliers. This guide tells you precisely what to ask for, in what format, and gives you three ready-to-send emails plus a free template.

TL;DR

From each supplier you need, per batch: the country of production; the geolocation of the plots (a GPS point for small plots, a polygon for any plot over 4 hectares); evidence it was produced legally; and, if the goods are already covered, the DDS reference number. Coordinates should be in decimal degrees (WGS84) to about six decimal places, sent as a CSV or GeoJSON.

What data you actually need from suppliers

The regulation makes you collect a specific set of information for every in-scope product, and keep it for five years. You can't file your Due Diligence Statement (the short declaration that lets you place goods on the EU market) without it. Here is the short version of what to get from each supplier.

  • Country of production

    Where the commodity was actually grown, harvested or raised, not just where it was shipped from.

  • Geolocation of every plot

    GPS coordinates of the land where it was produced: a single point for small plots, and a polygon (the plot boundary) for any plot larger than 4 hectares. Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, Art. 2(28) defines geolocation as latitude and longitude to at least six decimal digits, with polygons for plots over 4 hectares.

  • Evidence of legal production

    Confirmation, with any permits or certificates, that the goods were produced in line with the laws of the country of production: land-use rights, environmental and forest rules, third-party and labour rights, and so on. Art. 9 sets out the full list of information operators must gather.

  • DDS reference number, if it exists

    If your supplier's goods are already covered by an existing Due Diligence Statement, ask for its reference number (and the companion verification number) instead of re-collecting the raw geolocation. Reference numbers are issued by the EU Information System and passed down the chain. EU Information System (TRACES).

New to these terms? See the glossary or the obligations explainer.

The data spec, plainly

Suppliers send geolocation in all sorts of formats, and the wrong one means rework. To avoid that, ask for it exactly like this:

  • Coordinate system: WGS84, the standard GPS system, expressed in decimal degrees (for example 36.789012), not degrees-minutes-seconds and not a national grid.
  • Precision: about six decimal places, which pins a location to roughly a metre.
  • Point vs polygon: a single point (one latitude, one longitude) is fine for small plots; for any plot over 4 hectares you need a polygon, which is the plot's boundary written as a list of corner points.
  • File format: a CSV (use our template) is easiest for most suppliers; GeoJSON is also accepted and is handy for polygons.

In a CSV, a point row might look like Plot-001, 1.5, -1.234567, 36.789012 (plot id, area in hectares, latitude, longitude). For a plot over 4 hectares, list the boundary corner points instead.

Don't over-demand polygons

A 2026 simplification lets micro and small primary operators in low-risk countries, the people who actually grow, harvest or raise the goods themselves, use a verifiable postal address instead of GPS coordinates in some cases. So before you insist a tiny smallholder send you polygons, check whether this lighter route applies to them. Ask for what the rules actually require, not more. Council, targeted revision (Dec 2025).

Copy-paste, free

Three emails to get the data

Plain-English and ready to send. Copy the text, swap in your details, hit send. No email or signup needed to use these.

Template 1: First data request

Send this when you first ask a supplier for the data.

Subject

Data we need from you for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

Body

Hi [Supplier name],

We buy [product, e.g. green coffee beans] from you, and from [deadline date] the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires us to know exactly where each batch was produced before we can sell it in the EU. To keep doing business together, we need a few things from you.

For every batch you supply, please send us:

1. Country of production.
2. Geolocation of the plot or plots where it was produced:
   - For small plots, a single GPS point (latitude and longitude).
   - For plots larger than 4 hectares, the boundary as a polygon (a list of corner points).
   - Coordinates in decimal degrees (WGS84), to about 6 decimal places, e.g. -1.234567, 36.789012.
3. Confirmation it was produced legally under the laws of that country (land-use, environmental and labour rules), with any permits or certificates you already hold.
4. If your goods are already covered by an EUDR Due Diligence Statement, the DDS reference number (and verification number).

The easiest way to send the coordinates is to fill in the attached template (CSV) and email it back. If you already export this data in another format, GeoJSON is also fine.

If anything here is unclear, or you're not sure how to get the coordinates, reply and we'll walk you through it. We'd rather sort it out early than hold up a shipment.

Could you send this by [date]? Thank you.

[Your name]
[Your company]

Select the text above to copy it, then swap in the [bracketed] details for your supplier.

Template 2: Friendly chase

Send this a week or two later if you have not heard back.

Subject

Quick reminder: EUDR geolocation data for [product]

Body

Hi [Supplier name],

Just following up on my earlier note about the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). We still need the geolocation and legality details for the [product] we buy from you, so we can keep placing it on the EU market without interruption.

To recap, for each batch we need:
- Country of production.
- GPS coordinates of the plot (a point for small plots, a polygon for plots over 4 hectares), in decimal degrees (WGS84).
- Confirmation it was produced legally, plus any permits or certificates.
- The DDS reference number, if the goods already have one.

The attached template makes this quick to fill in. If you've already started and got stuck on any part, especially the coordinates, just reply and I'll help.

Could you get this back to me by [date]? Appreciate it.

[Your name]
[Your company]

Select the text above to copy it, then swap in the [bracketed] details for your supplier.

Template 3: Escalation

Send this only if earlier requests go unanswered and a deadline is close.

Subject

Action needed: we may have to pause orders without EUDR data

Body

Hi [Supplier name],

I'm writing because we still don't have the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) data we've asked for, and the deadline is now close.

From [deadline date], we are legally not allowed to place [product] on the EU market unless we hold its geolocation and legality information. Without the data below, we won't be able to accept further shipments from you for the EU after that date. I want to be straight with you about that now, rather than surprise you later.

What we need, for each batch:
- Country of production.
- GPS coordinates of the plot (a point for small plots, a polygon for plots over 4 hectares), in decimal degrees (WGS84).
- Confirmation of legal production, with any permits or certificates.
- The DDS reference number, if the goods already have one.

If there's a practical reason this is hard, e.g. you source from many smallholders or you're not set up to capture coordinates, please tell me. We'd much rather find a way to help you supply it than stop ordering. Can we get on a call this week?

Please reply by [date] so we can plan.

[Your name]
[Your company]

Select the text above to copy it, then swap in the [bracketed] details for your supplier.

The geolocation template (CSV)

A ready-to-fill CSV with the columns suppliers need: plot id, area in hectares, latitude, longitude, country of production and notes. Attach it to your first request so suppliers know exactly what to send. Free, no email needed.

Download the CSV template

How to run the ask well

Start early. The deadline for large and medium operators and traders is 30 December 2026; micro and small enterprises have until 30 June 2027. Collecting coordinates from upstream suppliers, especially many small ones, is the slowest part of EUDR work, so give yourself months, not weeks. Application dates (Reg. 2023/1115, as amended). See the scope checker if you're not sure which date applies to you.

Contact the right person. Send the request to whoever actually knows where the goods were produced: the farm, the cooperative, the first exporter. Going through a broker who can't answer wastes a round trip.

Handle non-responders in order. Use the friendly reminder first, then the honest escalation. Many suppliers go quiet not because they refuse, but because they don't know how to capture coordinates, so lead with help: a phone map app or a free tool is often enough, and a short call beats five emails.

Keep your records for five years. Store the geolocation, the legality evidence and any reference numbers somewhere you can retrieve them, because you must keep this information for five years and be able to produce it if a competent authority asks. Art. 9 and Art. 33.

Optional

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Questions suppliers (and you) ask

What format should geolocation be in?

Latitude and longitude in decimal degrees using the WGS84 reference system, to about six decimal places, for example -1.234567, 36.789012. Send it as a CSV (our template) or as GeoJSON. Avoid degrees-minutes-seconds and avoid local national grids, which need converting first.

What if my supplier won't share coordinates?

Start by helping, not threatening: many suppliers simply don't know how to capture coordinates, and a phone's map app or a free tool is often enough. Use the chase and then the escalation template if needed. Without the geolocation you generally cannot place that product on the EU market, so be honest early that orders may have to pause. For a small supplier in a low-risk country who grows the goods themselves, a postal address may be accepted instead of GPS under the 2026 simplification, so check whether that applies before insisting on polygons.

Do I need a polygon or just a point?

A single GPS point is enough for small plots. For any plot larger than 4 hectares you need a polygon: the boundary of the plot described as a list of corner coordinates. So ask for points by default and only require polygons for the larger plots.

What if the goods already have a DDS?

If your supplier's goods are already covered by an existing Due Diligence Statement, you may not need to collect the raw geolocation yourself. Instead, collect and keep the DDS reference number (and the verification number). Ask for that number up front; if they have it, your job is mostly to record and pass it on.

Keep going

Am I in scope?

Check whether the EUDR applies to your product and role, and which deadline is yours.

What applies to me?

Your obligations by size and role after the 2026 simplification.

Readiness checklist

Every step to get EUDR-ready, on one free checklist.

What is the EUDR?

The plain-English explainer: commodities, the dual test and due diligence.

Get the free Readiness Checklist

Sources

  1. [1]Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR), consolidated text on EUR-Lexretrieved 5 Jun 2026
  2. [2]European Commission, EUDR Information System (TRACES)retrieved 5 Jun 2026
  3. [3]European Commission, EUDR guidance documentretrieved 5 Jun 2026
  4. [4]European Commission, EUDR implementation FAQretrieved 5 Jun 2026
  5. [5]Council of the EU, targeted revision (postponement and simplification), Dec 2025retrieved 5 Jun 2026

This is guidance to help you understand the EUDR, not legal advice. For decisions specific to your business, confirm with the official sources we link or a qualified adviser.