akar.earthEUDR Polygon vs Point Requirements by Plot Size
EUDR polygon rule for plots over 4 hectares: when a point is enough, when a polygon is required, accuracy tips and how to map Indonesian smallholder plots.
Under the EUDR, a plot of land over 4 hectares used to produce a covered commodity (other than cattle) must be geolocated with a polygon, while a plot of 4 hectares or less can be geolocated with a single point. Coordinates need at least six decimal places in latitude and longitude, and every separate plot needs its own entry.
The rule in one table
| Plot size | Minimum geolocation | Recommended practice |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ha or less | One point (latitude, longitude) inside the plot | Polygon where feasible, to support area and deforestation checks |
| Over 4 ha | Polygon with enough vertices to describe the boundary | Field-surveyed boundary, checked against imagery |
| Cattle | Different rules apply to establishments | Check the Commission guidance |
Plot size here means the area of the specific plot of land, not the farmer’s total holding. A farmer with two separate 3-hectare gardens gives two points. A plantation company block of 500 hectares gives a polygon, or several polygons if the block is split by roads or rivers that are not production land.
Why points are risky for Indonesian smallholders
Most Indonesian coffee, cocoa and rubber smallholders, and many oil palm smallholders, farm plots under 4 hectares. A point is legally enough. But points create problems later:
- Area is unknown. Without area, a buyer cannot check whether the declared quantity is plausible. A point for a cocoa garden in Sulawesi says nothing about whether it yields 500 kg or 5 tonnes.
- Deforestation screening is weaker. A point checks one pixel or a small buffer. Clearing at the edge of the garden can be missed, or a forest pixel next to the garden can trigger a false flag.
- Size is self-reported. If the farmer says 3 hectares but the garden is really 6, a point was not enough.
For these reasons, many EU buyers ask for polygons for all plots. If you are mapping anyway, walking the boundary takes a few extra minutes per plot and avoids a second visit.
How to capture good polygons
Phone GPS. Fine for points in open areas. Under shade coffee or jungle rubber canopy, phone accuracy degrades, sometimes to tens of metres. Polygons walked with a phone under canopy can be distorted.
RTK GNSS. Survey-grade receivers with correction data give centimetre to decimetre accuracy in the open and still useful accuracy under canopy. See our guide to RTK GNSS plot mapping.
Digitising on imagery. Drawing boundaries on high-resolution satellite or drone images, then confirming them with the farmer, works well where boundaries are visible. See drone photogrammetry for forestry.
Existing maps. Land certificate maps, plantation permit boundaries and village maps are useful inputs but often outdated or in local coordinate systems. Convert to WGS84 and check against what is on the ground.
Data quality checks before submission
Before a geolocation file goes to an EU buyer, check:
- Coordinates are in WGS84 (EPSG:4326), longitude first in GeoJSON.
- Every coordinate has at least six decimal places.
- Polygons are closed, do not self-intersect and have no duplicate vertices.
- Plots do not overlap each other unless that is explained (for example, two family members claiming the same land).
- Calculated polygon area roughly matches the declared area.
- Every plot over 4 hectares has a polygon, not a point.
- Points fall inside the plot, not on a house, road or collection point.
Our AKAR Mapper runs these checks at capture, so errors are fixed while the field team is still in the village.
Linking geometry to legality and land records
A polygon does more than satisfy the geolocation field. Overlaid on the forest estate map (kawasan hutan), protected areas and concession maps, it shows whether the plot may raise a legality question. Overlaid on imagery from 2020 onwards, it supports the deforestation-free check. Linked to a land document such as SHM or SKT, it ties the farmer’s right to the land on the ground.
The same polygon can also define the project area for agroforestry or tree-planting carbon work. That is the idea behind one field dataset for carbon and EUDR.
Plots that change shape
Plots change over time. Farmers buy, sell, split and merge land, and plantation blocks are re-surveyed. Keep a version history for each plot and record the date of each geometry. A buyer filing in 2027 needs the plot as it supplied that shipment.
Next steps
For the overall framework, see the EUDR hub. Commodity-specific mapping advice is in our pages on palm oil geolocation and coffee geolocation. If you need a mapping campaign for your supply base, see field data campaigns or message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
When does the EUDR require a polygon?
For plots of land over 4 hectares used to produce covered commodities other than cattle, the geolocation must be a polygon. For plots of 4 hectares or less, a single point is enough.
How many decimal places do EUDR coordinates need?
Coordinates must have at least six decimal digits, in latitude and longitude. That is a format rule; actual accuracy depends on how the point was measured.
Is a polygon better even for small plots?
Often yes. Polygons let you check deforestation across the whole plot and calculate area for yield checks. Many buyers prefer polygons for all plots.
Can one point represent several small plots?
No. Each plot of land needs its own geolocation. A farmer with three separate plots needs three entries.