How to evaluate EUDR due diligence tools for SME coffee and cocoa supply chains

Fragmented coffee and cocoa chains do not fail EUDR for lack of another satellite slide. They fail when plot evidence never leaves the farm visit, when consent is missing, when lots cannot point back to root plots, or when cost lands on the farmer. Use this page to evaluate due diligence tools for SME agri-food chains. Where Tracebud matches a criterion, it is named. Where a competitor claim would need evidence we do not have, it is not invented.

What "good" looks like for SME chains

Buyers and origin actors need a path that a cooperative or small exporter can run without a multi-year IT programme. That usually means:

1. Field capture with the producer (or an agent when there is no phone)
2. Records that survive the next buyer ask
3. Screening that sits on real coordinates
4. Pricing that scales with volume, not with seat licences on farmers

See also self-serve agri-food-chain traceability and the full-chain vs satellite-only overview.

Evaluation checklist

1. Field evidence at origin

Ask: Can plots, photos and producer identity be captured where the farm is, not only from a desk map?

Tracebud: Field App is built for first-mile capture. Cooperatives and exporters run the network; farmers use the app free.

2. Polygon and point quality

Ask: Does the tool support plot-level geolocation with the precision EUDR expects (including polygons for larger plots)? Can bad rings be corrected without throwing away the visit?

Tracebud: plot-level capture is part of the live EUDR path. Detail: EUDR plot-level geolocation and DDS evidence. For mapping reliability, see how to secure reliable field mapping data.

3. Consent on the record

Ask: Is consent stored with the evidence so visibility can travel with the producer network, not disappear into one buyer's folder?

Tracebud: consent sits on the record; tenant isolation keeps organisations in their entitled scope. FAQ: GDPR, consent and ownership.

4. Offline capture

Ask: Can a visit finish without live internet?

Tracebud: offline-first Field App. Guide: how to collect farmer plot data offline for EUDR.

5. Cascading requests (not full remaps)

Ask: When a European buyer still has gaps, can the next link be asked only for the missing piece?

Tracebud: cascading network requests in Field App and Dashboard. Playbook: farmer-owned evidence and cascading requests.

6. Chain of custody beyond the map

Ask: Can lots point back to contributing plots through aggregation and processing? Which claim models are live?

Tracebud: Identity Preservation and Segregation are live; CoC Mass Balance is scheduled. Ops lot mass reconciliation at a processor desk is not the same as a CoC Mass Balance claim. Walkthrough: batch-to-plot chain of custody.

7. Satellite screening in the right place

Ask: Does screening sit on top of plot records, or does the vendor sell map layers as a substitute for farm visits?

Tracebud: geospatial screening supports claims on real plots. It does not replace farm-level capture. Position: full agri-food-chain solution.

8. DDS-style output and filing

Ask: Can the desk assemble buyer-ready due diligence packs and file through the EU Information System where the product supports submit / amend / retract?

Tracebud: DDS-style packs and filing flows are part of the live EUDR open beta on the Dashboard. Confirm current UI in product; this page does not invent screen labels. See EUDR compliance and FAQ: DDS assemble and file.

9. Pricing for fragmented SME chains

Ask: Who pays? Do farmers need a licence to document their own farm? Does cost scale with tonnes or with seats?

Tracebud: buying organisations pay an access fee per tonne (unlock on the Pricing page: same meter). Field App stays free for farmers. FAQ: who pays.

10. Multi-programme mould without false live claims

Ask: Can the same origin records support coming programmes later, without pretending non-EUDR modules already shipped?

Tracebud: capture-once spine with EUDR live; other programmes as co-builds. Hub: capture once, multi-programme evidence.

What this page does not do

It does not rank named competitors. It does not claim Tracebud wins every row against every vendor. It gives SME buyers and origin actors a checklist they can take into demos and RFPs.

Next steps

1. EUDR checklist
2. Get started (open beta)
3. FAQ · Contact