Forest baseline (2020 forest map)
A forest baseline is a map of forest extent at a reference date against which later change is measured. For the EUDR, it describes forest on 31 December 2020. The JRC Global Forest Cover 2020 map (GFC2020) is a global, non-binding reference produced to support EUDR risk assessment.
Also known as: forest cover map · GFC2020 · JRC forest map · EU Forest Observatory
Why does it matter?
To prove a product is deforestation-free, a company must show the plot was not forest at the cut-off date, or that any forest present then has not been converted. That needs a view of forest on 31 December 2020.
How does it work?
The Joint Research Centre developed GFC2020 within the EU Observatory on Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It aims to represent forest as defined in the EUDR: land over 0.5 hectares, trees higher than 5 metres, canopy cover above 10%, excluding land predominantly under agricultural or urban use. Other global and national maps use different definitions, dates and methods.
In practice, a plot polygon is overlaid on the baseline. Overlap with 2020 forest is not proof of non-compliance: tree crop plantations, agroforestry and shade systems can be mapped as forest. Such flags are checked with other sources, time series, satellite alerts and field evidence. Tools such as Whisp apply this convergence-of-evidence logic.
Common pitfalls
- Treating one map as ground truth.
- Mixing maps with different forest definitions without reconciling them.
- Ignoring national land-use maps developed with producer countries.
Farmer1st combines several public baselines and field evidence in a multi-source deforestation assessment through its geo and polygons service.
Frequently asked questions
Is the JRC map legally binding?
No. The JRC states that use of the GFC2020 maps is not mandatory, not exclusive and not legally binding. They support risk assessment, possibly combined with other datasets and field evidence, and a plot's status must be assessed against the EUDR definition of forest.
What resolution does GFC2020 have?
The Commission's 2026 simplification review describes it as a harmonised, globally consistent map of forests for 2020 at 10-metre spatial resolution, built by integrating multiple satellite-based datasets and updated as new data and feedback arrive.
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