#Netherlands #Utrecht #Golden Agri-Resources #SmartTrace #Verborg Group

GAR Partners with Verborg Group to Pilot SmartTrace System for EUDR Compliance

Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) has embarked on a significant journey by collaborating with Verborg Group to test its innovative due diligence platform, SmartTrace. This initiative falls within the broader scope of preparing for the upcoming European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is set to come into effect on December 30, 2025.

In March 2025, GAR announced the launch of limited trials of the SmartTrace platform with select customers. One of the inaugural participants in these tests is Verborg Group, which runs a state-of-the-art tropical oils refinery in Farmsum, Netherlands. This strategic partnership between GAR and Verborg Group, established in early 2024, aims to deliver high-quality, deforestation-free, and traceable tropical oils to clients across Europe.

During these pilot trials, a notable shipment of 9,500 metric tonnes of palm oil products was successfully delivered to Verborg Group's refinery at the end of February. This shipment is fully traceable back to the Indonesian plantations where the palm was cultivated, showcasing the efficacy of the SmartTrace system. Goedhart Borgesius, the Director of Verborg Group, underscored the significance of this test in reassuring European buyers regarding EUDR compliance. He stated, "We recognize our responsibility to provide sustainably produced, high-quality tropical oils free from deforestation. This shipment marks a milestone in our ability to demonstrate these attributes, offering our customers confidence that they are eliminating deforestation risk from their supply chains."

Enhancing Trust in Complex Supply Chains

The EUDR imposes stringent requirements on operators importing selected products into the EU, necessitating detailed due diligence reports to confirm that these products pose no deforestation risk and are produced in accordance with local laws. GAR's SmartTrace platform is designed to enhance visibility and security for this due diligence data, ultimately fostering trust and transparency in complex raw material supply chains.

This web-based platform provides operators with unprecedented oversight of their entire palm oil supply chain. The system can trace every component of a palm oil shipment down to the plantation level, providing a comprehensive end-to-end view of product sourcing that is authenticated through blockchain technology. GAR has invested over a decade in supply chain traceability, allowing the company to track 100% of palm produced on its plantations and extending the traceability to 99% of its total palm oil supply chain in Indonesia. Furthermore, the supply of soybean, sugar, coconut oil, and sunflower oil is also traced back to the factory level.

Addressing Emerging Compliance Needs

Beyond merely indicating where palm products were produced and traded, the SmartTrace system offers critical insights and analytics that aid buyers in meeting incoming regulatory requirements. Companies and traders utilizing this system will be able to generate detailed reports addressing essential compliance aspects of the EUDR, such as due diligence and risk mitigation regarding deforestation and legality. These reports are designed to seamlessly integrate with the EU's TRACES platform, equipping clients with the necessary information to efficiently fulfill their due diligence declarations.

Maarten van der Hoeven, GAR's representative for Europe and Latin America, elaborated on the advantages of the system: "By digitizing the due diligence process, SmartTrace aids our clients in collecting, managing, and sharing the necessary data to comply with EUDR requirements. In a complex supply chain where compliance data for a shipment can contain millions of data points, we want to ensure our clients have access to accurate, efficient, and reliable data to demonstrate that their palm oil is deforestation-free."

Moreover, SmartTrace is adaptable to other regulatory frameworks and complex data and reporting requirements, extending its utility beyond just the EUDR. As the landscape of regulatory compliance continues to evolve, GAR’s innovative approach ensures that businesses can keep pace with changing demands while promoting sustainability in their operations.

In summary, the partnership between GAR and Verborg Group marks a pivotal step in addressing regulatory challenges within the palm oil industry, facilitating transparency and sustainability at every level of the supply chain. As SmartTrace undergoes testing and refinement, it stands as a powerful tool in the quest to eradicate deforestation from the global supply chain for tropical oils.