How ETGÂ Coffee achieved comprehensive compliance, leveraging minimal resources for data analysis
About ETG
ETG has developed into a global player with a presence in 48 countries, spanning six continents. The group has a diverse portfolio of expertise across various industries, encompassing agricultural inputs, logistics, food processing, energy, minerals and metals, technology and supply chain optimisation.
Limited knowledge about farmers posed a compliance risk under the EUDR
When the coffee department at ETG began developing farmer-level sustainability, they quickly discovered a significant gap: limited knowledge about their farmers posed a compliance risk under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). To mitigate this risk, they needed to collect and verify farmer data.
ETG's primary objective was clear—achieve comprehensive compliance, leveraging minimal resources for data analysis, so that resources could be deployed to have a field-level impact.
Compliance and sustainability
The department initially had limited visibility regarding the status of its coffee farmers.
Data validation
No existing systems or processes were available to efficiently validate critical farmer data.
Minimal human resources
Given the limited resources, the chosen solution had to significantly reduce manual workloads while ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
“Our trust in Meridia as an innovative and reliable organisation was essential. No matter how regulations or guidelines evolve, we needed a partner who could adapt and innovate alongside us.
For us, this was crucial—knowing that even if you start small, you’re working with a company that can rapidly develop solutions and follow a roadmap aligned with industry trends."
ETGÂ was looking for a partner who could adapt and innovate alongside them
The key features of Verify that addressed ETG’s needs included:
Public and commercial maps to prevent false positives
Verify allows selection of the best data source (commercial + public sources) based on context.
Existing partnerships and a harmonised approach
Meridia’s credibility was supported by the existing customers and its partnership with ICE.
Familiarity with Meridia
They already knew Meridia from land titling and recognised it as an innovative and reliable organisation.Â
"Initially, onboarding involved just a small team, but we have since added five others, who receive dedicated training and onboarding support, making the onboarding process ongoing and smooth.
The Meridia team regularly asked about our priorities and suggestions, allowing us to help shape the development."
1. A uniform way of working
GIS teams can handle hundreds of data layers from different sources, and when someone is away, work can easily stall.
For ETG, Meridia prevented this risk, as Verify standardised workflows by guiding users through structured expansion tests, ensuring consistency.
2. Fast tool adoption
Tools like QGIS or ArcGIS require specific skills, which limit data access across the organisation.
Verify’s intuitive interface allows more people, including traders, to easily engage with spatial data, without complex scripts or specialist training.
GISÂ tasks don't get stalled when someone is away
Now, anyone on the team can perform essential tasks, making it easy to step in if someone’s unavailable. Critical tests are clearly defined, streamlining documentation and approval tracking.
Tool adoption by wider team
Verify makes it accessible and even fun for other departments to be involved in the process of engaging with spatial data without complex scripts or specialist training.
Improved efficiency
Although exact time savings are hard to quantify, Verify has clearly reduced reliance on GIS experts and improved overall efficiency.
"Over the past year, our confidence in Meridia as an organisation has proven to be true—numerous adjustments have been made that align well with regulatory developments and practical needs."