Golden Agri-Resources Partners with Verborg Group to Pilot SmartTrace EUDR Compliance System

Rhea-AI Summary

Golden Agri-Resources (GARPY) has initiated customer trials of its SmartTrace due diligence platform, designed to support compliance with the upcoming European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) effective December 30, 2025.

The first trial involved Verborg Group, involving a 9,500-metric-tonne palm oil shipment to their Netherlands refinery in February. The blockchain-powered platform integrates with EU TRACES system, providing enhanced visibility and security for due diligence data in complex commodity supply chains.

SmartTrace allows operators to track palm oil shipments to plantation level, with GAR achieving 100% traceability for its estates and 99% Traceability to Plantation for its Indonesian supply chain. The system generates detailed compliance reports for EUDR requirements, focusing on deforestation risk and legality verification.

Positive

• Launch of blockchain-powered compliance platform ahead of EUDR implementation
• Strategic partnership with Verborg Group for European market expansion
• 100% traceability achieved for company-owned estates
• 99% Traceability to Plantation for Indonesian supply chain

Negative

• trial phase only - full implementation pending
• Complex compliance requirements may impact operational costs

• Blockchain-powered SmartTrace platform is designed to integrate with EU TRACES system, supporting EUDR due diligence for operators. 
• Limited trials have been launched as part of GAR's efforts to help customers prepare for EUDR implementation.

UTRECHT, Netherlands, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) has launched limited customer trials for its SmartTrace due diligence platform, as part of a broader programme to support compliance with the incoming European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), set to take effect on 30 December 2025.

Among the first customers to pilot the SmartTrace system is Verborg Group, which operates a state-of-the-art tropical oil refinery in Farmsum, the Netherlands. GAR and Verborg Group established a strategic partnership for tropical oil supply in early 2024 to bring high-quality, traceable and deforestation-free oils to customers across Europe.

The trial involved a shipment of 9,500 metric tonnes of palm oil products delivered to Verborg Group's refinery in late February. This shipment is 100% traceable to the plantations where it was grown in Indonesia and is part of ongoing tests of compliance systems and processes ahead of EUDR implementation.

Goedhart Borgesius, Director of Verborg Group, emphasised the importance of the trial to reassure European buyers about EUDR preparations: "We recognise the responsibility we have to our customers to provide sustainably-produced, high quality and deforestation-free tropical oils. This shipment marks a milestone in our ability to demonstrate these attributes and offer our customers confidence that they are helping to eradicate deforestation risk from the tropical oil supply chain."

Enhancing Trust in Complex Supply Chains

The EUDR mandates that operators importing selected commodities into the EU provide detailed due diligence reports confirming these products are free from deforestation risk and are produced in accordance with local laws. 

GAR's SmartTrace platform is designed to provide enhanced visibility and security for this due diligence data, enhancing trust and transparency in complex commodity supply chains.

The web-based platform gives operators unprecedented oversight of their entire palm oil supply chain. The system can track each constituent part of a palm oil shipment down to plantation level, giving users an end-to-end view of product sourcing that is authenticated using blockchain technology.

SmartTrace builds on a decade of investment into supply chain traceability from GAR. The company can trace 100% of the palm produced on its estates to plantation level and has extended Traceability to the Plantation (TTP) to 99% of its total palm oil supply chain in Indonesia. Supply of soy, sugar, coconut and sunflower oil are also 100% Traceable to the Mill.

Addressing Emerging Compliance Needs

In addition to showing where palm products have been produced and traded, the system provides critical information and analysis to support buyers' compliance with incoming regulations.

Companies and traders using the system will be able to produce detailed reports that address vital requirements for EUDR compliance including due diligence and risk mitigation status for deforestation and legality. These reports are tailored to integrate with the EU's TRACES platform, providing customers with the necessary information to complete their due diligence statements efficiently.

Maarten van der Hoeven, GAR's Head of Europe and LatAm, explained the advantages of the system: "By digitising the due diligence process, SmartTrace helps our customers to collect, manage and share the data needed to meet EUDR requirements. In a complex supply chain where compliance data for one shipment can contain millions of data points, we want to ensure our customers can access accurate, efficient and trusted data to demonstrate their palm oil is deforestation-free."

Beyond the EUDR, SmartTrace is also adaptable to other regulatory frameworks and complex data and reporting requirements.

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SOURCE Golden Agri-Resources

FAQ

What is the significance of GARPY's SmartTrace platform for EUDR compliance?

SmartTrace digitizes due diligence processes, enabling tracking of palm oil shipments to plantation level and generating compliance reports for EU's deforestation regulations.

How much palm oil was involved in GARPY's first SmartTrace trial with Verborg Group?

The initial trial involved 9,500 metric tonnes of palm oil products delivered to Verborg's refinery in February 2025.

What is GARPY's current traceability percentage for palm oil supply in Indonesia?

GARPY achieves 99% Traceability to Plantation for its Indonesian palm oil supply chain and 100% traceability for its own estates.

When will the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) take effect for GARPY?

The EUDR will take effect on December 30, 2025, requiring companies to provide detailed due diligence reports on deforestation-free products.