Agri-Food Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) Sourcing Criteria

The document defines the 'Agri-Food Deforestation and Conversion Free Sourcing' criteria for entities in the food value chain. It mandates a cut-off date of 31 December 2020, requiring that sourcing be free from deforestation and natural ecosystem conversion. The criteria specify different traceability and due diligence requirements based on the risk classification of the origin, with a commitment to full geolocation for all commodities by 2030. It also integrates human rights safeguards and annual verification processes to ensure climate integrity for certified entities.

• The criteria apply to agri-food entities that generate at least 50% of their revenue from agri-food supply chains, including traders, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, but excluding producers at the farmer or grower level.
• To be certified, entities must ensure no deforestation or conversion of natural ecosystems has occurred in their supply chain since the cut-off date of 31 December 2020.
• Traceability requirements vary by risk: high-risk origins and specific commodities (cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, pulp and paper, and soy) require geolocation to the original production land plot (polygons for plots > 4ha), while low-risk origins generally require tracing to the country of origin or primary processing facility.
• The framework mandates a transition to full geolocation for all sourced agri-food commodities, regardless of risk classification, by 1 January 2030.
• Certification requires that 90% of the entity's agri-food net procurement spend be compliant, and any individual commodity contributing 1% or more of that spend must be included in the scope.
• Entities must have existing programs for producer-level human rights and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) safeguards, recognizing principles such as Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• Verification is conducted annually by approved verifiers using random sampling, requiring verification of at least 10% of procured volume and 10% of total suppliers for both high-risk and low-risk categories.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (2024). Agri-Food Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) Sourcing Criteria. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-doc-agri-food-dcf-sourcing-120424.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Agri-Food Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) Sourcing Criteria. 2024. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-doc-agri-food-dcf-sourcing-120424.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Agri-Food Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) Sourcing Criteria |date=12 April 2024 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-doc-agri-food-dcf-sourcing-120424.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiative2024agrifood, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Agri-Food Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) Sourcing Criteria}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/criteria-doc-agri-food-dcf-sourcing-120424.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }