Forest monitoring good practices: mapping tree crop commodities

d’Annunzio, R.; Abramowitz, J.; Bale, F.; Clinton, N.; Dontenville, A.; Dyson, K.; Foresta, L.; Freitas Beyer, J.; Gasperini, L.; Houdry, P.; Hunka, N.; Jonsson, Ö.; Lindquist, E.; Lippe, M.; Monnier, B.; Mushtaq, F.; Orlowski, K.; Poulenas, P.; Rambaud, P.; Rembold, F.; Reymondin, L.; Riano, C.; Ribeiro, V.; Ripplinger, P.; Saah, D.; Sagarra, L.; Sannier, C.; Schechtman, S.; Shapiro, A.; Sullivan, A.; Tenneson, K.; Valbuena Perez, M.P.; Vantalon, T.; Vollrath, A.; Wielgosz, B.;

Forest monitoring good practices: mapping tree crop commodities

Autores

d’Annunzio, R.; Abramowitz, J.; Bale, F.; Clinton, N.; Dontenville, A.; Dyson, K.; Foresta, L.; Freitas Beyer, J.; Gasperini, L.; Houdry, P.; Hunka, N.; Jonsson, Ö.; Lindquist, E.; Lippe, M.; Monnier, B.; Mushtaq, F.; Orlowski, K.; Poulenas, P.; Rambaud, P.; Rembold, F.; Reymondin, L.; Riano, C.; Ribeiro, V.; Ripplinger, P.; Saah, D.; Sagarra, L.; Sannier, C.; Schechtman, S.; Shapiro, A.; Sullivan, A.; Tenneson, K.; Valbuena Perez, M.P.; Vantalon, T.; Vollrath, A.; Wielgosz, B.;

Editor

FAO ;

Descripción

This document sets out good practices for mapping tree crop commodities – such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, palm oil and agroforestry systems – using Earth observation and geospatial methods. It clarifies key definitions (land cover, land use, deforestation, mapping, agroforestry) and explains why distinguishing between forests and tree-based agricultural land uses is critical for addressing commodity-driven deforestation and meeting rising regulatory and market expectations for deforestation-free supply chains. While numerous public and private initiatives now produce commodity maps, misalignment in definitions, methods, data quality and transparency undermines trust and comparability. The good practices therefore aim to promote consistency, credibility and interoperability across regions and commodities, while remaining non-binding and flexible to national circumstances.The document also outlines the major technical and governance challenges in mapping commodities with tree cover. These include heterogeneous and dynamic production systems, limitations of remote sensing data – particularly in shaded agroforestry systems, lack of consistent typologies, limited access to high-quality reference data and reluctance to share data due to commercial, legal or privacy concerns.To address these issues, the document emphasizes good practices in data collection, modelling, validation, metadata and data sharing, including hybrid approaches that combine remote sensing with field data, locally grounded accuracy assessments, convergence-of-evidence frameworks, and open, well-documented outputs. They further highlight the importance of transparent data governance, appropriate licensing, informed consent and compliance with data protection laws, to ensure that commodity maps support regulatory compliance, responsible sourcing, inclusion of smallholders and informed decision-making across global supply chains.