On 20 November 2023, Inovasi Digital organized an event to address the EUDR’s impact on importers of key commodities titled “Navigating EUDR Requirements: Solutions for Effective Implementation” and attracted over 60 participants from various companies and organizations concerned with addressing the challenges associated with EUDR implementation.
The objective for the session was to provide operators, companies, supply-chain actors, suppliers and stakeholders with a no-nonsense, un-redacted and clear understanding of the implications of the EUDR. It distilled the EUDR to focus on the core requirements, challenges and actions to address them. The EUDR Un-Redacted presentation and session allows actors along the value chain, especially operators facing implementation, to make an informed decision for their needs in the EUDR context.
Inovasi Digital has developed a system and platform to support operators in meeting the EUDR – called Inovasi Agriplot. It leverages its sister group – Earthqualizer Foundation – with experience in monitoring deforestation and leadership to provide objective, accurate and verifiable spatial data-led solutions to companies and organizations seeking to monitor and address deforestation in supply-chains. Inovasi Agriplot contains the tools, processing, and data; backed by the expertise in spatial data, big-data processing and on-the-ground knowledge of producer regions to provide an unparalleled solution for operators facing the EURD.
The event included presentations by Eddy Esselink from the Netherlands Oils and Fats Organization (MVO), who shared the views and concerns of operators, as well as Andrew Ng from MosaiX BV, and Ihwan Rafina from PT Inovasi Digital, who identified and explained the critical EUDR requirements through their presentation titled “EUDR Un-Redacted”. A discussion on the topic followed, which was moderated by Sara Wayne.
The moderator began the session by framing the core requirements of the EUDR for the audience. That included revisiting the evolution of the EU laws and initiatives that led to the adoption of the EUDR. Then she briefly touched upon the demands of the EUDR itself and identified the deforestation as well as legality components
The event was divided into two sessions, the first session included presentations and discussions on the challenges posed by the EUDR and the solutions developed by Inovasi Digital and MosaiX, and the second session was a cocktail event designed to facilitate the building and expansion of professional networks in a relaxed and informal setting. During the first session, the speakers delved into the current state of the palm oil sector, the challenges arising from the newly enforced EU regulation, and the solution developed by MosaiX called Inovasi Agriplot.
Eddy Esselink started the session by explaining that there were many unanswered questions, indicating several aspects of the regulations that remained unclear. He proposed for harmonization in the implementation of the EUDR across jurisdictions. Two specific aspects were highlighted: the need for clarity on the required documents related to legal compliance and the importance of harmonizing information for risk assessments. Eddy called for efforts to engage with governments through a coordinated response.
The second speaker was Andrew Ng from MosaiX. Andrew covered the various requirements and potential approaches to address the EUDR. The presentation touched on the complexities of gathering verifiable and detailed information. Several approaches were then proposed with an emphasis on the critical need for reliable data sources.
The last presenter was Ihwan Rafina from Inovasi Digital who expanded on how to address the challenges with an approach used by ID’s InovasiAgriplot system. Ihwan expanded on the types of approaches to determining mapping requirements, deforestation assessments, legal compliance, and closing of traceability gaps. Challenges due to weak points for information gathering include the supplier mills’ information, accessing legal documents, inconsistencies between official and physical data, and other technical complexities explained. Broader issues like different international and national forest definitions were discussed as well.
Ihwan compared certification information disclosure (like RSPO / MSPO) to EUDR requirements and highlighted that potential shortfalls existed that meant considering certification as compliant to EUDR cannot be assumed. Then the presentation showcased the extensive data collected by Inovasi Digital and Mosaix, which would be critical for mapping, traceability, legality, and risk assessments. The extensive data collected across different EUDR-required criteria ensures InovasiAgriplot system would identify compliant supply chains with greater accuracy. The expertise in combining Big-Data, analytics with on-the-ground experience was highlighted as the system’s main risk assessment strength.
The presentation at this event identified with clarity the issues operators face with enforcement of the EUDR. It highlighted the main priorities of the regulation and vital elements in the Due Diligence Statement, as well as risks from non-compliance mixed inside supply-chains of operators. The session then was followed by a networking event where the conversation continued amongst various operators along the supply chain.
