Cut-off date (EUDR)
The EUDR cut-off date is 31 December 2020. Relevant products are deforestation-free only if their commodities were produced on land not subject to deforestation after that date, and, for wood, harvested without inducing forest degradation after that date.
Also known as: 31 December 2020 · EUDR baseline date
Why does it matter?
The cut-off date turns a policy goal into a testable question for each plot of land: was there forest on this land on 31 December 2020, and has it been converted to agricultural use since? It appears in the definition of deforestation-free in Article 2(13) of the EUDR.
How does it work in practice?
- Map the plot as a polygon or point.
- Compare it against a forest baseline for 2020, based on the EUDR definition of forest (more than 0.5 hectares, trees higher than 5 metres, canopy cover above 10%, excluding land predominantly under agricultural or urban use).
- Check for deforestation or, for wood, forest degradation after the date, using time series and satellite alerts.
- Document the evidence and resolve disagreements between datasets.
Common pitfalls
- Tree crops mistaken for forest. Cocoa, coffee, rubber or oil palm plantations and agroforestry systems are agricultural use under the EUDR, but global maps can classify them as forest.
- Single-source conclusions. No map is error-free; convergence of several sources is more defensible.
- Ignoring the production date. The date or time range of production must be recorded.
Farmer1st runs multi-source deforestation assessment up to today for each plot through its geo and polygons service.
Frequently asked questions
Can land deforested before 2021 supply the EU market?
Under the EUDR's deforestation-free criterion, yes: conversion before 31 December 2020 does not disqualify a plot. The product must still meet the legality requirement, and other standards or company policies may apply earlier cut-off dates.
Why do companies need a 2020 forest map?
To show a plot was not forest at the cut-off date, or that forest present then has not been converted. A forest baseline such as the JRC Global Forest Cover 2020 map is one reference, alongside other sources and field evidence.
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