Geolocating plots of land

Knowing the precise location of the plots of land where an agricultural commodity was produced is becoming increasingly important for global supply chains amid a growing focus on traceability. Regulations, certification schemes and buyers are requiring more transparency on where commodities like coffee, cocoa, rubber, palm oil and others are produced. In addition, geolocation information can also help smallholder farmers demonstrate land ownership and use rights. 

While it is relatively straightforward to collect geolocation information for large agricultural plantations and estates, gathering this information for individual farmers’ small plots of land is much more challenging. Cooperatives are ideally placed to assist with the collection of geolocation information for their farmers, as part of their broader support and information gathering activities. 

This easy-to-use document is intended to guide cooperatives – as well as other actors such as civil society organisations – on how to collect geolocation information of farmers, why this is important, how such geolocation data can be used for different purposes, and data ownership considerations.