Deforestation-free Supply Chain management & EUDR compliance

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Why follow this course?

Deforestation remains one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. It fuels climate change, accelerates biodiversity loss, and disrupts local livelihoods and ecosystems. Most forest loss comes from expanding agriculture for coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, cattle, wood, leather, and rubber (forest-risk commodities - FRC). Across the globe, governments, companies, and consumers are committing to end deforestation and promote responsible, transparent, and low-carbon supply chains.

The European Union, responsible for 16% of global imported deforestation, is now taking bold action. The new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) bans products linked to deforested or degraded land. However, its success depends on professionals able to bridge policy, science, and practice. That’s where this course comes in.

This course equips you with the knowledge and tools to make supply chains deforestation-free. You will learn how to apply due diligence, use cutting-edge monitoring technologies, and design sustainability strategies that meet EUDR and other responsible sourcing requirements.

Whether you work in business, policy, or research, this course empowers you to drive real change toward a more transparent, responsible, and sustainable global trade system.

Join us and become part of a new generation of Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Managers shaping a more sustainable future.

Is this course for you?

Are you a student or a professional working with forest-risk commodities, such as wood, rubber, leather, or food and feed industries? Are you professional integrating deforestation and ESG risk assessments into investment decisions? This course is for you!

This course is intended for (though not limited to) students and professionals working in the following sectors:

• Procurement, sustainability, and compliance officers in forest-risk commodity industries and trading companies
• Environmental managers, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and ESG analysts
• Consultants supporting sustainability and due diligence implementation
• Specialists from (semi-)governmental bodies addressing supply chain risks and EUDR compliance
• Policy advisors, NGO practitioners, and international organization staff working on deforestation-free supply chains
• Financial professionals assessing sustainability and deforestation risks in investments
• Students and researchers in environmental sciences, forestry, geography, sustainability management, economics, or international development

Programme & topics

The course is structured in five modules, guiding learners from foundational knowledge to applied practice:

• Introduction & Context – Global and regional deforestation trends, forest-risk commodities, and key socio-environmental and policy concepts.
• EU Deforestation Regulation– Development, design, and limitations of the EUDR; implications for smallholders and Indigenous Peoples; governance and policy frameworks.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), and Certification Schemes – Principles of CSR, ESG finance, and the role of certification systems in EUDR compliance.
• Technical Path to Compliance – Risk assessment, due diligence, geospatial monitoring, traceability tools, and the use of data-driven platforms (e.g., Global Forest Watch).
• Managerial & Soft Skills linked to the deforestation-free supply chain (DFSC) – Project management, communication, environmental accounting, and strategies to address paradoxes in DFSC management.

Verified track

Learners of the verified (paid) conclude the course with a final practical project, applying the full due diligence process to a real or simulated forest-risk commodity supply chain.

Other advantages of the verified track:

• receive a digital WUR certificate after successful completion
• gain access to graded materials
• gain unlimited access to course content and videos
• showcase your accomplishment on your LinkedIn profile

Acknowledgements

We developed the MOOC 'Deforestation-free Supply Chain management & EUDR compliance' as a part of the EMMA4EU Erasmus+ project in close collaboration with:

• ETIFOR | Valuing Nature, Italy
• The Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF) of the University of Padova, Italy
• Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands
• Preferred by Nature, Denmark
• Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany
• OpenForests, Germany
• Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
• AidEnvironment, Netherlands
• Makerere University, Uganda
• Fòrema, Italy

Funded by the European Union

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Is this course for you?

This MOOC is for anyone with basic knowledge of sustainability standards or forestry or trade/supply chain, ready to gain insights that you can apply in your daily practice.

What you will learn?

By completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain global deforestation drivers, impacts, and regulatory responses
• Understand and interpret the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its implications for companies and producers.
• Assess the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) tools, certification systems, and ESG investments in ensuring sustainable supply chains.
• Apply technical and analytical methods to identify, monitor, and mitigate deforestation risks using geospatial and other tools
• Develop and implement due diligence systems for deforestation-free supply chains
• Communicate effectively across sectors and manage projects addressing environmental and social sustainability in global supply chains.

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