EUDR geolocation: polygon or point for your coffee plot

Plot geolocation is the EUDR's most technical requirement and the one that causes the most errors. This page explains when you need a polygon, when a point is enough, and how to capture it well.

The 4-hectare rule

• More than 4 ha → polygon required.
• 4 ha or less → point or polygon.

Most small coffee farms fall in the second group, but many cooperatives work medium farms that do exceed 4 ha. If in doubt, capture a polygon: it is always valid.

Precision: 6 decimals

The EUDR requires 6 decimal places in coordinates. That is about 11 cm of precision. With fewer decimals, the dossier is rejected.

Example of a valid coordinate: -75.645231, 5.987412 (longitude, latitude).

How to capture the geometry

The most efficient way is a mobile portal the farmer opens on their phone:

1. Receives a link (WhatsApp or email).
2. Opens the map in their browser.
3. Draws the polygon by walking the farm border, or drops a pin in the centre.
4. The platform validates the area and format.

EUDR-Comply does exactly this: the supplier installs nothing, registers for nothing, just opens the link and captures.

Common mistakes

• Latitude and longitude swapped → the farm appears on another continent.
• Fewer than 6 decimals → rejection.
• Unclosed polygon (last point different from the first) → invalid geometry.
• Point on a farm over 4 ha → invalid dossier.

Conclusion

Geolocation is not hard with the right tool. A mobile portal with automatic validation eliminates 90% of errors. Try it with your first supplier.