Meridia

Compliance is not a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process. Companies must move away from a firefighting approach and invest in long-term compliance strategies. In our latest webinar with Passionfruit and Volcafe, we went beyond policy talk and got real about how to actually navigate EUDR compliance—without losing time, shipments, or credibility. If you missed it, here are the highlights of what you need to know: 1. Bad data = bad business. - We’ve found that 10-30% of farm plot data is critically flawed, meaning it wouldn’t pass an audit by the competent authorities. This is a direct compliance risk that could lead to audits, shipment delays, and even supply chain exclusion. - Action: Run quality checks, fix GPS errors, and cross-check legality before it’s too late. 2. It’s not just about deforestation. - EUDR isn’t just about deforestation-free sourcing; you must also prove compliance with local laws (like land rights, protected areas and permits). - Action: Expand supplier risk assessments to cover all legal compliance areas. 3. Drowning in compliance requests? Automate or get buried. - Companies are overloaded with customer requests and supplier forms—all slightly different but asking the same things. - Action: Use a centralised answer library to eliminate duplicate work and inconsistencies. 4. Mixed messages = compliance chaos. Get your house in order. - Many companies send conflicting compliance answers to different customers, creating risk and eroding trust. - Action: Build an internal approval system to keep compliance responses consistent across all teams. 5. EUDR rule misinterpretation is a real problem. - Different teams assess deforestation and legality risks differently, leading to disputes and delays. - Action: Standardise internal data verification and train suppliers on the correct EUDR risk assessment methods. 6. Starting in September is too late. - Supplier compliance issues take 2–8 months to fix. Wait until the last minute? You’re too late. - Action: Start verifying and segmenting suppliers now. By September, last-minute fixes won’t save you. 📽 Watch the full webinar here: https://buff.ly/3e7BKdf #EUDR #DeforestationFree #ESG #Volcafe

I’ll talk about “Reliable Data for Forest Monitoring & GHG Accounting” on Panel #8 tomorrow at 2:15 PM at the WCF partner meeting. EUDR is coming, Scope 3 is on deck, and fuzzy data is no longer an option. Without solid numbers, sustainability claims crumble—taking your reputation with them. Let’s connect and talk about real solutions. #worldcocoafoundation #wcfpm #cocoa #cocoasustainability

Last Thursday, we hosted a webinar with Passionfruit and Volcafe on EUDR compliance in action. We polled 190 sustainability leaders, and the results highlighted the challenges many organisations are still facing: - 14% are not ready at all, and 48% still have significant gaps to close. - Only 15% feel very confident in their process for verifying field data. - Compliance efforts are demanding considerable resources—62% of respondents are spending between 25% and over 50% of their time on EUDR. We know that preparing for compliance takes time and effort. Fixing compliance issues can take anywhere from 8 to 26 weeks—and human resources alone may not be enough. But there’s good news: if you start now, you still have enough time. And using digital tools can save time of 2-3 FTEs. With the right approach and collaboration, EUDR compliance is within reach. How is your organisation approaching the challenge? Let's have a conversation. We can get you started today. #EUDR

The ocean doesn’t grow cocoa—so why is your farm data floating there? It sounds absurd, but it’s a real issue: datasets with farm plots mapped in the middle of the ocean. The culprit? Simple errors like swapped LAT/LONG coordinates. But the consequences aren’t simple. When poor data slips through the cracks, it doesn’t just distort maps—it distorts decision-making. Inaccurate coordinates can mask deforestation, misinform emissions models, and undermine compliance efforts. With regulations like EUDR tightening the screws and Scope 3 emissions under scrutiny, the tolerance for bad data is disappearing. Data isn’t just numbers—it’s the foundation for sustainability claims, climate strategies, and supply chain transparency. Let’s meet and discuss this further at the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in São Paulo. I’ll speak on panel #8 on Reliable Data for Forest Monitoring & Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Accounting on 20 March at 2:15 PM. #GHGEmissions #SupplyChainTransparency #EUDR #GHGaccounting #WCFPM2025 #WCFPM #SustainableCocoa #CocoaAction

I grew up in a special ecosystem, which are the Finger Lakes of Central New York. Named for the five valley lakes carved from glaciers, we were surrounded by an abundance of water in our lives. I was fortunate to grow up in the town of Skaneateles, which boasted the cleanest lake in New York, and second cleanest lake in the United States. Nearby, less than 40km (24 miles) away was Onondaga Lake. This once sacred lake of the people of the Onondaga Nation became one of the most polluted bodies of water in the United States through a process of abusive industrialization. I reflect on this from my childhood and a conversation I had yesterday with someone based in Nairobi about the differences in what one knows from data collected in the field or on the ground and what one can only see from above with a satellite, or infer via a model. And ultimately, the value of data grounded in local context. From above, we may only see bodies of water, trees, crops, or buildings. But on the ground there is so much more to understand about how all of those things interact, and people's role in those interactions. I remember the putrid smell of Onondaga Lake as a stark comparison to the pristine clarity of water in my hometown. The dangers of one body of water compared to the celebrations of another. The sensory evaluation extended into contrasts in socioeconomics, and much broader ecosystems impacts. In the 1980's 25 pounds of mercury were dumped directly into Onondaga lake every day by a chemical manufacturer. In the 2000's these decades of economic externalities came due, with a $451,000,000 court ordered cleanup plan. Now at Meridia with our Verify product I have a role in making assessments about farm plots, legality, deforestation, and sustainability using data - much of it captured from the sky above, and often in places where I have never been. It's these personal experiences on the ground that I reflect on, and make sure that our assessments consider local context in every way possible, from our network of expert advisors, relying on peer reviewed, reputable research, and the diversity of our colleagues at this very international company. And on a happy note: today, believe or not, Onondaga Lake is much cleaner as a result of government intervention directing corporates to restore the damage to the environment. Recreational trails exist and no longer is it required to hold your breath while passing on the highway. With so much criticism about the burdens of government and regulation on business, I've seen first hand the transformation that can occur when targeted interventions become reality.