Cocoa land near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo (case study)
Blocked: not for your EU buyer yet
The goods, the weights and the farm location file do not tie together. Do not send this to your EU buyer.
Why it is blocked
Lot L-002 (16,612 kg) is not kept apart: 8 bag groups trace to a plot that is not cleared. Mixed goods cannot be fixed by leaving plots out of the farm location file. Fix: Take lot L-002 out of this shipment, or resolve its farms first.
8 plots behind these goods are not in the farm location file: OND-OLW-0001 (Check, no one has accepted it), OND-OLW-0003 (Check, no one has accepted it), OND-OLW-0004 (Check, no one has accepted it), OND-OLW-0005 (Check, no one has accepted it) and 4 more. The goods and the producer locations do not match. Fix: Resolve these plots, or take the lots that hold their bags out of the shipment.
What is still missing
Land papers are missing for 1 plot: OND-OLW-0002. Fix: Add a land paper for each of these plots: a survey plan, a certificate of occupancy or a permit.
This is the state when the pack was built. A named person approves the handoff in Forestline, and any later change takes the approval back.
Prepared for EU buyer (not named), NL. Cocoa, Product code 1801.
1Plots in the farm location file
7.15 haArea
1Farmers
19,474 kgWeight stated for the shipment
2,862 kgWeight of lots kept apart
1 / 6 / 2Clear / Check / Stop
8Left out of the file
This pack holds the proof for one shipment. Your EU buyer files the EU form (the due diligence statement) and stays responsible for it. A person looks at every Check before the plot goes in the farm location file.
Some bags in this shipment do not trace to a Clear or accepted plot. Do not send them to the EU until that is fixed. The table of bags kept apart shows which.
Under Europe's no-deforestation rule (EUDR), Nigeria is a standard-risk country (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1093). So the EU buyer runs the full risk check on every shipment.
What is in this pack
The sections follow Article 9 of Europe's no-deforestation rule, (a) to (h), so your EU buyer can match each one to their form.
The farm location file (GeoJSON), the plot register (CSV), the lot-to-plot table (CSV) and the EU form draft (JSON).
(a) What the goods are
Crop
Cocoa
Description
Cocoa beans, weights estimated from plot sizes
Product code
1801
(b) How much
Weight stated for the shipment
19,474 kg
Weight of lots kept apart
2,862 kg
Lot
Bags
Weight (kg)
Kept apart
Problems
L-001
0
2,862
Yes
–
L-002
0
16,612
No
A plot in this purchase has the result Check and no person has accepted it.; A plot in this purchase has the result Stop.
(c) Where they were grown
Country of production
Nigeria (NG)
States
Ondo
(d) The plots and when the crop was grown
Harvest period: Not recorded. Farm edges are in the farm location file.
No forest cut after 2020 was found in the records we checked, and Forestline AI read no forest cut in the photos.
What Forestline AI saw: In 2020 the plot was mostly bare brown soil with sparse vegetation and some green patches near the edges. Today the plot is covered with green vegetation that looks like young trees or crops growing across the area. The greenness increased from 0.41 to 0.62, consistent with new planting.
Plots left out of the farm location file
Plot code
Farmer
Result
Why it is left out
OND-OLW-0001
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Check
Result is Check and no person has accepted it yet.
OND-OLW-0003
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Check
Result is Check and no person has accepted it yet.
OND-OLW-0004
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Check
Result is Check and no person has accepted it yet.
OND-OLW-0005
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Check
Result is Check and no person has accepted it yet.
OND-OLW-0006
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Check
Result is Check and no person has accepted it yet.
OND-OLW-0007
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Stop
Result is Stop: forest was cut after 2020, or the plot is inside a protected forest.
OND-OLW-0008
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Stop
Result is Stop: forest was cut after 2020, or the plot is inside a protected forest.
OND-OLW-0009
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
Check
Result is Check and no person has accepted it yet.
OND-OLW-0001
Check
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 5.09 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-11-01. Clouds hid 2% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2026-03-15. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
0 ha (0%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
Forestline AI is not sure what the two photos show. A person must look at them.
What Forestline AI saw: The 2020 photo shows a dappled green canopy with scattered tall trees, typical of cocoa under shade. The current photo shows much less canopy, with visible tracks and bare or light-coloured ground between remaining vegetation. The shade cover appears to have thinned significantly. The facts record no tree loss after the cut-off date.
Proof to gather
Year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing the farm before 2020
Reason for shade-tree removal or thinning, with dates
Receipts for any recent seedling purchases
GPS-tagged ground photos of current cocoa trees and canopy
Review by a person: Not reviewed
OND-OLW-0003
Check
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 4.54 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-11-06. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2025-11-20. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
0 ha (0%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
Forestline AI is not sure what the two photos show. A person must look at them.
What Forestline AI saw: The 2020 photo shows a dappled green canopy with a few lighter bare or soil patches, consistent with cocoa grown under shade trees. The latest selected photo is quite hazy and washed out, especially outside the farm edge, but inside the farm edge a green canopy is still visible. No clearing, bare ground or new rows can be seen.
Proof to gather
Year the cocoa was first planted on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing cocoa trees before 2021
A field visit to count shade tree ages and confirm cocoa under canopy
Receipts for cocoa seedlings or farm inputs
Review by a person: Not reviewed
OND-OLW-0004
Check
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 3.7 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-11-06. Clouds hid 1% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2025-11-20. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
3.45 ha (94%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
0.19 hectares of this plot was forest at the end of 2020 and has lost its trees in 2022 and 2024. This is below the Stop line, so a person must look at it.
Satellite alerts show about 0.31 hectares of new tree loss in this plot since 2021. The latest alert is from 2026. A person must look at the latest selected photo.
Forestline AI is not sure what the two photos show. A person must look at them.
What Forestline AI saw: The 2020 photo shows an uneven, dappled green canopy inside the farm edge, typical of cocoa under shade trees. The latest selected photo has a bright haze or cloud patch across the upper part of the plot, but where visible the canopy still looks green and intact. The EU 2020 forest map marks 93.6% of the plot as forest, but this is likely shade cocoa. The facts record 0.199 ha of tree loss since 2020, but no bare ground or clearing is visible in either photo.
Proof to gather
Year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing cocoa trees before 2020
Count of cocoa tree ages to confirm planting period
Field visit to check whether the 0.199 ha loss is replanting or natural tree fall
Review by a person: Not reviewed
OND-OLW-0005
Check
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 6.59 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-11-06. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2025-11-25. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
0 ha (0%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
0.92 hectares lost trees after 2020 on land the EU 2020 map does not call forest. Often this is old rubber or cocoa cut and planted again. Ask for the planting year and proof. Forestline AI: In 2020 the plot shows an uneven tree canopy with some brown and bare patches visible, typical of cocoa under shade trees. Today the plot is more uniformly green, suggesting the canopy has filled in. No bare ground or clearing is visible in the current photo. The facts note 0.917 ha of tree loss recorded in 2025, but this is not obvious in the satellite photo.
Satellite alerts show about 0.11 hectares of new tree loss in this plot since 2021. The latest alert is from 2026. A person must look at the latest selected photo.
Forestline AI is not sure what the two photos show. A person must look at them.
What Forestline AI saw: In 2020 the plot shows an uneven tree canopy with some brown and bare patches visible, typical of cocoa under shade trees. Today the plot is more uniformly green, suggesting the canopy has filled in. No bare ground or clearing is visible in the current photo. The facts note 0.917 ha of tree loss recorded in 2025, but this is not obvious in the satellite photo.
Proof to gather
The year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing the farm before 2020
A field visit to check the area flagged for 0.917 ha tree loss in 2025
A count of cocoa tree ages across the plot
Receipts for seedlings or inputs if any replanting took place
Review by a person: Not reviewed
OND-OLW-0006
Check
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 6.27 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-11-06. Clouds hid 1% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2026-03-15. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
0.24 ha (4%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
0.24 hectares of this plot was forest at the end of 2020 and has lost its trees in 2022. This is below the Stop line, so a person must look at it.
5.8 hectares lost trees after 2020 on land the EU 2020 map does not call forest. Often this is old rubber or cocoa cut and planted again. Ask for the planting year and proof. Forestline AI: The 2020 photo shows an uneven, dappled dark-green canopy inside the farm edge, consistent with cocoa under shade trees. The current photo is badly affected by cloud, haze or sensor artefacts with bright flare and rainbow fringing, so the ground cannot be read. The two photos cannot be reliably compared. The facts record 6.08 ha of tree loss in 2022, which covers nearly the whole plot.
Satellite alerts show about 0.89 hectares of new tree loss in this plot since 2021. The latest alert is from 2026. A person must look at the latest selected photo.
Forestline AI is not sure what the two photos show. A person must look at them.
What Forestline AI saw: The 2020 photo shows an uneven, dappled dark-green canopy inside the farm edge, consistent with cocoa under shade trees. The current photo is badly affected by cloud, haze or sensor artefacts with bright flare and rainbow fringing, so the ground cannot be read. The two photos cannot be reliably compared. The facts record 6.08 ha of tree loss in 2022, which covers nearly the whole plot.
Proof to gather
Year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing the farm before 2022
Receipts for seedlings or inputs purchased around 2022
Field visit to confirm current land use and count tree ages
GPS-tagged photos of any young planting or remaining shade trees
Review by a person: Not reviewed
OND-OLW-0007
Stop
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 6.09 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-12-26. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2026-03-15. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
4.13 ha (68%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
4.1 hectares of this plot was forest at the end of 2020 and has lost its trees in 2022. That is 68% of the plot. Do not buy from it for the EU.
1.9 hectares lost trees after 2020 on land the EU 2020 map does not call forest. Often this is old rubber or cocoa cut and planted again. Ask for the planting year and proof. Forestline AI: In 2020 the plot was covered by a green canopy that looks like cocoa or other trees under shade. Today the plot shows a grid of brown roads or tracks cutting through remaining green strips, matching large-scale clearing. The facts record 5.984 ha of tree loss in 2022, covering nearly the entire plot.
Satellite alerts show about 0.5 hectares of new tree loss in this plot since 2021. The latest alert is from 2022. A person must look at the latest selected photo.
Forestline AI is not sure what the two photos show. A person must look at them.
What Forestline AI saw: In 2020 the plot was covered by a green canopy that looks like cocoa or other trees under shade. Today the plot shows a grid of brown roads or tracks cutting through remaining green strips, matching large-scale clearing. The facts record 5.984 ha of tree loss in 2022, covering nearly the entire plot.
Proof to gather
The year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing the plot was cocoa under shade before 2021
Receipts or records for any new seedlings or replanting after 2022
A field visit to count tree ages and confirm what crop is now growing
Any government or cooperative land-use certificate for the plot
OND-OLW-0008
Stop
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 6.02 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-12-26. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2026-03-15. Clouds hid 7% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
5.88 ha (98%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
5.9 hectares of this plot was forest at the end of 2020 and has lost its trees in 2022. That is 98% of the plot. Do not buy from it for the EU.
0.11 hectares lost trees after 2020 on land the EU 2020 map does not call forest. Often this is old rubber or cocoa cut and planted again. Ask for the planting year and proof. Forestline AI: The 2020 photo shows a dark-green, dappled canopy inside the farm edge, consistent with cocoa grown under shade trees. The latest selected photo is extremely blurry with chromatic distortion, so the current land cover cannot be read. The two photos cannot be properly compared. The tree-loss record shows 5.991 ha lost in 2022, but this cannot be confirmed from the photos.
Satellite alerts show about 0.1 hectares of new tree loss in this plot since 2021. The latest alert is from 2022. A person must look at the latest selected photo.
Forestline AI is not sure what the two photos show. A person must look at them.
What Forestline AI saw: The 2020 photo shows a dark-green, dappled canopy inside the farm edge, consistent with cocoa grown under shade trees. The latest selected photo is extremely blurry with chromatic distortion, so the current land cover cannot be read. The two photos cannot be properly compared. The tree-loss record shows 5.991 ha lost in 2022, but this cannot be confirmed from the photos.
Proof to gather
Year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing cocoa trees before 2022
Receipts for seedlings or replanting materials if the plot was replanted
Field visit to confirm current land cover and count tree ages
GPS-tagged ground photos of the plot from multiple angles
OND-OLW-0009
Check
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline) · Near Oluwa Forest Reserve, Ondo · 3.23 ha
The 2020 photo. Taken 2020-11-06. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.Latest selected photo. Taken 2025-11-20. Clouds hid 0% of the plot.
Forest at the end of 2020 (EU map)
3 ha (94%)
Tree loss after 2020 (a rough guide, not an exact area)
The EU 2020 map calls 94% of this plot forest, but Forestline AI sees cocoa under shade trees. The EU map often calls shaded cocoa forest. No tree loss was found after 2020. Gather: The year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot; Old photos or cooperative records showing the farm existed before 2021; A field visit to count shade trees and confirm cocoa under the canopy; Seedling or input receipts if replanting ever took place.
What Forestline AI saw: Both photos show a green, uneven canopy inside the farm edge. There is no sign of clearing, bare ground or new planting. The canopy looks the same in 2020 and today.
Proof to gather
The year the farmer first planted cocoa on this plot
Old photos or cooperative records showing the farm existed before 2021
A field visit to count shade trees and confirm cocoa under the canopy
Seedling or input receipts if replanting ever took place
Review by a person: Not reviewed
Bags kept apart
Lot
Bags
Weight (kg)
Kept apart
Problems
L-001
0
2,862
Yes
–
L-002
0
16,612
No
A plot in this purchase has the result Check and no person has accepted it.; A plot in this purchase has the result Stop.
Purchases and the plots they trace to
Purchase
Date
Farmer
Plot code
Bags
Weight (kg)
pu_01
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0001
0
2,038
pu_02
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0002
0
2,862
pu_03
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0003
0
1,815
pu_04
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0004
0
1,481
pu_05
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0005
0
2,637
pu_06
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0006
0
2,508
pu_07
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0007
0
2,436
pu_08
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0008
0
2,407
pu_09
Not known (farm edge from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, traced by Forestline)
OND-OLW-0009
0
1,290
Bag weights for a plot are the plot's share of each purchase, split by plot area.
Harvest check
Kilograms on record for a farmer, against what that farmer's plots can grow in a season.
No farmer is above what the plots can grow.
(h) Proof the farms are legal
Europe's no-deforestation rule points to Nigeria's land, tax, labour and anti-corruption rules. This list shows which papers Forestline holds for each plot.
Papers missing:2
Plot code
How the land is held
Land paper
Farmer ID
Issues
OND-OLW-0002
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0001
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0003
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0004
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0005
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0006
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0007
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0008
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
OND-OLW-0009
unknown
Missing
Missing
–
Risk check
Written by Forestline AI from the facts in this pack. The EU buyer decides if the risk is very low.
Shipment S-001 carries cocoa from Nigeria (standard risk under Europe's no-deforestation rule). Only 1 of 9 plots is in the farm location file, covering 2,862 kg of an estimated 19,474 kg. Lot L-002 (16,612 kg) is not kept apart and traces to plots that are not cleared, so the shipment is blocked. Land papers are missing for 1 plot, 9 farmers have not given consent, and no plot has been reviewed by a person.
Where the crop grows
This shipment (S-001) is cocoa (product code 1801) from Nigeria. Europe's no-deforestation rule (EUDR) places Nigeria in the standard risk group (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1093). The EU buyer runs the full risk check on every shipment. The stated weight is 19,474 kg. The net weight is 2,862 kg. All weights are estimated: each farm's size was multiplied by a published average yield. No bag was weighed and no sale is recorded. The recorded weight on file is 2,862 kg. The estimated capacity across all farms is 48,684 kg, and no farmer is above capacity. The harvest period is not stated in the data; the EU buyer assesses this.
What the satellite photos show
9 plots were checked. Of those, 1 plot is clear (no sign of forest cut after 31 December 2020). 6 plots got a check result, meaning they need a person to review the satellite photos. 2 plots got a stop result, meaning the photos show a risk of forest turned into farm land after 31 December 2020. No plot has been reviewed by a person so far. 8 plots were left out of the farm location file. The reasons: plots OND-OLW-0001, OND-OLW-0003, OND-OLW-0004, OND-OLW-0005, OND-OLW-0006, and OND-OLW-0009 each have a check result that no one has reviewed. Plots OND-OLW-0007 and OND-OLW-0008 each have a stop result. Only 1 plot (7.1541 ha) remains in the file.
Protected forests
All 9 plots were checked against OpenStreetMap protected areas. This map holds only part of Nigeria's protected forests and is not a legal map. 0 plots lie inside a protected area. 0 plots lie within 500 m of a protected area. The EU buyer should check the official maps for what OpenStreetMap does not hold.
How bags trace to plots
The shipment has 2 lots. Lot L-001 (2,862 kg) is kept apart and has 0 problems. Lot L-002 (16,612 kg) is not kept apart: 8 bag groups trace to a plot that is not cleared. Mixed goods cannot be fixed by leaving plots out of the farm location file. 8 plots behind these goods are not in the farm location file (OND-OLW-0001, OND-OLW-0003, OND-OLW-0004, OND-OLW-0005 and 4 more). The goods and the producer locations do not match. This means there is a high risk of mixing with bags of unknown origin in lot L-002.
Papers that show the farm is legal
Land papers are missing for 1 plot: OND-OLW-0002. 9 farmers have not given consent. 0 plots have other paper issues. The EU buyer assesses whether the papers on file are enough to show the farmers may use the land and follow other laws of Nigeria.
What was done about the risks
8 plots were left out of the farm location file. 6 were left out because their check result has not been reviewed by a person (OND-OLW-0001, OND-OLW-0003, OND-OLW-0004, OND-OLW-0005, OND-OLW-0006, OND-OLW-0009). 2 were left out because their satellite photos show a stop result (OND-OLW-0007, OND-OLW-0008). 0 plots have been accepted after review. No extra documents or farmer support actions are recorded in the data. The shipment hand-off is blocked.
What the EU buyer decides
The EU buyer decides whether the risk is low enough to file. Key open items: lot L-002 (16,612 kg) is not kept apart and cannot go into the EU form as it stands. 8 plots need review or are stopped. Land papers are missing for 1 plot. 9 farmers have not given consent. 0 plots have been reviewed by a person. The EU buyer stays responsible for the filing under the rule.
Where the data comes from
These records were used for every result in this pack.
Source
Version
Licence
EU Joint Research Centre Global Forest Cover 2020 https://forobs.jrc.ec.europa.eu/GFC
V4
Free of charge, without restriction of use (cite Bourgoin et al., doi 10.2905/JRC.3KATEH8)
University of Maryland Global Forest Change (loss counts are a rough guide, not an exact area) https://storage.googleapis.com/earthenginepartners-hansen/GFC-2025-v1.13/download.html
GFC-2025-v1.13
CC BY 4.0 (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA)
Global Forest Watch integrated deforestation alerts https://www.globalforestwatch.org/
latest release
Global Forest Watch open data (terms on the source page)
Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite photos, through Earth Search https://earth-search.aws.element84.com/v1/
