Mapping the limits to timber traceability at origin: The case of Para, Brazil

Journal article, 2025

The decline in integrity of standing forests across the Amazon is an overlooked yet far-reaching threat to biodiversity, livelihoods, and climate stability. With the European Union (EU) Deforestation Regulation driving demand for information on supply chains linked to forest degradation, long-standing timber-control systems provide valuable data for tracing product origins and associated socioecological impacts. However, their ability to reliably link consumption to extraction at source remains uncertain. Here we assess timber traceability in Para , Brazil-a major timber-producing state and forest degradation frontier-using over a decade of data (2009-2019) from official timber licensing, transport, and commercialization systems. While 96% of roundwood entering the formal supply chain is linked to geolocated logging permits, only 45% of satellite-based logging aligns with legal authorizations. The findings document limits to traceability at origin, underscoring the need for improved data management, transparency, and accountability to address legality and sustainability risks in timber supply chains.