To collect GPS coordinates for EUDR in Indonesia, capture a single point for smallholder plots under 4 hectares and a full polygon boundary for anything larger, using a GNSS phone app or handheld receiver in decimal-degree WGS84 format. Record the data per plot, tie it to the farmer, and store it for your Due Diligence Statement.
What coordinate data does EUDR actually require from an Indonesian plot?
The EU Deforestation Regulation (EU Regulation 2023/1115, in force since 29 June 2023) requires plot-level geolocation on every Due Diligence Statement, or DDS. The rule is short: capture a single GPS point for any plot smaller than 4 hectares, and trace a full polygon boundary for any plot of 4 hectares or more. Those coordinates let EU importers and enforcement officers line your land up against satellite imagery for the 31 December 2020 cut-off, the date after which production on cleared forest fails the deforestation-free test.
For Indonesian exporters the four practical commodities are coffee, cocoa, rubber, and wood or furniture. Most coffee and cocoa in Bali and across the archipelago grows on family plots far below 4 hectares, so the single-point method covers the large majority of smallholdings you will register.
| Plot size | What to collect | Typical Indonesian case |
|---|---|---|
| Under 4 hectares | One GPS point (latitude, longitude) | Most smallholder coffee and cocoa gardens |
| 4 hectares or larger | Polygon of the plot boundary | Consolidated estates, larger rubber blocks, timber blocks |
What equipment do you need to collect GPS coordinates in Indonesia?
You do not need survey-grade hardware for point collection. A modern smartphone with a multi-band GNSS chip, held under open sky, will place a smallholder plot accurately enough for a DDS. For polygon work on bigger parcels, a handheld receiver or a phone app that records a track as you walk the boundary makes the job faster and cleaner.
| Tool | Best for | Rough accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphone GNSS app (free) | Points on plots under 4 ha | ~5-10 m under open sky |
| Handheld GNSS receiver | Polygons, repeat fieldwork | ~2-5 m |
| RTK / survey receiver | Disputed boundaries, audits | sub-metre |
If you would rather not send staff into the field plot by plot, a specialist EUDR smallholder mapping service can collect, clean, and format the coordinates for you, then hand back a dataset ready to drop into your due-diligence records. Either way, the underlying method is the same.
How do you collect a point coordinate for a plot under 4 hectares?
Point collection is the workhorse of Indonesian smallholder mapping. Walk to a spot inside the plot — ideally near the centre, away from tall shade trees, ridgelines, or buildings that can bounce the signal — and follow these steps:
- Open your GNSS app and set the output to decimal degrees in WGS84, the format the EU accepts.
- Wait for the accuracy reading to settle, usually below 10 metres, before you save anything.
- Record the latitude and longitude to at least five decimal places.
- Log the farmer’s name, a unique plot ID, the commodity, and the date in the same row.
- Take a field photo and note the sub-district (kecamatan) so the record is easy to verify later.
Keep one point per plot, not per farmer. A grower who works three separate parcels needs three records, each tied to its own piece of ground.
How do you map a polygon boundary for larger plots?
Once a plot reaches 4 hectares, a single point is no longer enough — the EU wants the shape of the land. Two methods work in Indonesian conditions:
- Walk the boundary. Start at a fixed corner and walk the full perimeter with your app recording a track, closing the loop back at the start. Pause at each corner to drop a vertex so the shape stays crisp.
- Tap the corners. Where terrain or dense crops block a clean walk, stand at or sight each corner and record a point, then join the points into a closed polygon in your mapping software.
Check that the polygon closes properly and does not cross itself, and that its area roughly matches the farmer’s stated plot size. A polygon that traces 6 hectares against a claimed 2-hectare garden is a red flag your buyer will catch.
How do you keep the data accurate and privacy-safe?
Coordinates feed a system that will be checked against remote-sensing imagery for the December 2020 baseline, so quality matters more than volume. Re-shoot any point with an accuracy reading worse than about 10 metres. Store every plot record with its farmer link, collection point, and processing site so your supply-chain map holds together from garden to export lot.
Privacy is a fair concern for farmers. The European Commission’s practical guidance notes that operators do not have to publish exact coordinates publicly — a regional map showing kecamatan names and area scale can reassure a buyer’s compliance team while the precise points stay inside your due-diligence file. The full coordinate set still has to be produced for enforcement inspections and quoted, via the DDS reference number, on the EU customs declaration.
Plan the fieldwork against the enforcement calendar. As announced, large and medium operators must comply by 30 December 2026 and micro and small operators by 30 June 2027 — but enforcement timing has shifted before, and several Indonesian sources still cite earlier 2025 and 2026 dates, so treat every date as “as of 2026, subject to change,” and confirm the current position with the European Commission at environment.ec.europa.eu and your EU importer before you lock a schedule.
This is general guidance, not legal advice; confirm current EUDR requirements with the European Commission, your EU importer, and a licensed customs/legal adviser before acting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What GPS accuracy do I need for EUDR plot coordinates?
The EU regulation does not set a fixed accuracy figure, but buyers generally expect readings within roughly 5 to 10 metres so a point falls clearly inside the correct plot. A standard smartphone under open sky usually reaches this. Take the reading away from tall trees or buildings, and record several fixes to confirm the position is stable.
Can I use a normal smartphone to collect EUDR coordinates in Indonesia?
Yes. Most modern phones carry multi-band GNSS chips that pick up GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, which is enough for point coordinates on plots under 4 hectares. Use a free app that shows decimal-degree WGS84 output, wait for the accuracy reading to settle below about 10 metres, then save the point with the farmer’s name and plot ID.
Do I collect one coordinate per farmer or one per plot?
One set of coordinates per plot, not per farmer. A single grower who farms three separate parcels needs three geolocation records, each tied to that specific land. Give every plot its own identifier, link it to the farmer and the collection point, and keep the parcels distinct so your Due Diligence Statement maps cleanly to real ground.