WCF launches deforestation risk assessment methodology
The approach is intended to be a reference for companies, governments, and more.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), together with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) (the Alliance), today announced the publication of a new Active Deforestation Risk Assessment (DRA) Methodology for cocoa supply chains.
Developed through a multi-stakeholder process involving cocoa companies, producing-country stakeholders, technical experts, compliance providers, and public authorities, the methodology provides practical guidance to support more transparent, consistent, and evidence-based approaches to deforestation risk assessment.
As governments, markets, and supply chains place increasing emphasis on traceability, forest protection, and due diligence, cocoa sector stakeholders face growing pressure to improve the quality, transparency, and comparability of risk assessment approaches. The Active DRA Methodology has been developed to help address these challenges through a structured process that combines science-based analysis, data quality assurance, local context, verification procedures, and documented judgment.
The methodology provides step-by-step guidance covering:
- Plot data quality assurance
- Forest baseline definition and validation
- Deforestation overlay analysis
- Legal zoning checks
- Verification procedures
- Mitigation and corrective actions
According to WCF, the methodology can also support more consistent approaches to land-use change GHG emissions monitoring and accounting through improved forest baseline definition, mapping, and data quality procedures.
Developed under WCF's Regulatory Assurance and Standards Workstream, the methodology is intended as a practical reference framework for companies, governments, and third-party monitoring providers. It is designed to complement existing national systems and company due diligence processes by improving transparency, comparability, and confidence in assessment outcomes.
"The cocoa sector needs robust, transparent and practical approaches to assessing deforestation risk,” says Mike Matarasso, impact director and head of North America, World Cocoa Foundation. “This methodology represents an important step forward in supporting greater consistency, stronger verification and better-informed decision-making across cocoa supply chains."
"No single dataset can fully capture the complexity of tropical agricultural landscapes. This methodology provides a structured framework for assessing evidence, strengthening verification processes and improving transparency in how risk assessments are conducted." comments Louis Reymondin, senior scientist - digital inclusion, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.
The methodology recognizes that environmental rigor and fair treatment of producers are closely linked, WCF says. By strengthening verification processes and improving the treatment of uncertainty, it can help reduce the risk of decisions being made on incomplete, conflicting, or low-quality evidence, the org adds.
The publication forms part of broader collaboration between WCF, the Alliance, and sector partners to strengthen transparency, comparability, and implementation readiness across sustainable cocoa supply chains.
Related: WCF announces Ghana as conference location for 2027
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