Case Study: Unilever improves deforestation traceability with Orbital Insight

Unilever’s approach to tackling deforestation using geolocation data

Unilever, the global consumer goods manufacturer, wanted to make its forest-related supply chains deforestation free, but lacked clear visibility into the “first mile” between farms and mills. While it already used satellite imagery to detect land-use change, it needed a more precise way to connect deforestation risk to the plantations and farms supplying commodities such as palm oil, soy, cocoa, tea, and paper and board.

To address this, Unilever partnered with Orbital Insight to use a geolocation and satellite-imagery solution that maps movement patterns between farms, mills, refineries, and ports while preserving user anonymity. The platform helped Unilever create more detailed supply chain visibility and use the results as supplementary input for risk assessments; the pilot had already been trialed in palm oil mills in Indonesia and soy in Brazil, and Unilever described the technology as a “step change” in its deforestation monitoring efforts.

Unilever