The purpose of this guide is to support companies, governments, tool developers, certification systems, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in understanding and implementing effective traceability, with the larger goal of advancing the responsible sourcing of specific commodities linked to deforestation, conversion, illegality and/or human rights violations.
Specifically, this guide seeks to clarify the key elements that traceability, monitoring, and assurance tools and systems should incorporate to be as effective as possible, given current knowledge and technology and drive the development and enhancement of these tools and systems. Additionally, it should be noted that traceability is just one (albeit important) element of best practices around responsible supply chain commitments and implementation.
