This document proposes a deforestation transparency project to address key issues related to deforestation and climate change. It notes that existing deforestation data is often inaccurate and not used by agricultural companies. The proposed solution is a database to monitor reforestation and land use, using improved satellite imagery, to help companies and investors ensure supply chain compliance with environmental laws and zero-deforestation commitments. A pilot would launch in Brazil with the goal of worldwide scaling if resources allow. The project is led by an experienced GIS consultant with expertise in evaluating deforestation in agricultural supply chains.

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DEFORESTATION TRANSPARENCY
PROJECT

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Key Issues:
• Conversion of forests to agriculture is an escalating issue and accelerator of climate change.
• Consumers and investors want to ensure products and investments are “zero deforestation” however
supply chain deforestation analysis is rarely undertaken or not robust.
• Reducing deforestation globally is essential for mitigating the effects of climate change.
• Existing data available for deforestation is often inaccurate and rarely utilized by agricultural companies
or their financiers. Insufficient farm-level data is produced monitoring changes after deforestation.
PROBLEM
Deforestation and climate change

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Paris Agreement (2016):
• 23% of all greenhouse gas emissions derive from the
Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector.
Reduction in deforestation and forest degradation, and
enhancement of carbon sinks is fundamental for many
countries to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs) under the Paris Agreement,
• ‘Santiago Call for Action on Forests ‘(COP 25, Madrid, Dec
2019) identifies deforestation and forest degradation reduction
as key actions required to meet the Paris Agreement.
Zero-Deforestation Commitments and Environmental Law:
• The Cocoa Forests Initiative, Roundtable for Sustainable Palm
Oil, Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and Roundtable for
Responsible Soy all include zero-deforestation commitments.
• The UK Government has recently proposed a law prohibiting
businesses from using products grown on land that was
deforested illegally.
• The Brazil Forest Code is an example of a specific law against
deforestation.
POLICY
Paris Agreement, zero-deforestation commitments and law

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SOLUTION
Improving and furthering existing deforestation monitoring
Idea:
Creation of a database containing the type and size of deforested areas, which will be monitored to ensure
reforestation and non-conversion to agriculture. This database will be used by soft commodity traders and
their financiers to analyse against supply chain information, evaluating adherence to environmental laws and
commitments. Provides an incentive to farmers to protect and restore forests surrounding their properties.
Distinctive Approach:
Unique in that it incorporates and combines different deforestation alerts and datasets such as Global
Forest Change (University of Maryland) but will improve upon known shortcomings and lower resolution by
utilizing ESA Sentinel 1 and 2 imagery.
Geographic Scale:
Pilot project in Brazil but can be scaled worldwide if sufficient resources are available.

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Lewis Rattray (BEnv, MEng MIGeom) - Lead Applicant
EO and GIS Consultancy
● Founder and Lead GIS Consultant
● Eight years professional EO and GIS experience
across government, agriculture and
environmental preservation.
● Experience evaluating deforestation in supply
chains across various countries in Latin America
and Africa
Contact Details:
Email: lewis@rattraymapping.com
Skype: lewi.rattray
TEAM & EXPERIENCE
Brigette Reid (BSc, MSc, MIEnvSc)
Sustainability Consultant
● Strategic Support for Rattray Mapping & Spatial
● Ten years experience across Environmental
Consultancy and Green Finance.
● Experienced user of EO data for land use change
analysis for acquisition of sustainable
infrastructure.