Ferrero is using satellite imagery and geospatial analysis to improve visibility across the agricultural supply chains behind some of its principal ingredients. Working with the Starling monitoring platform, the confectionery group says it can now map and monitor approximately 230,000 cocoa, palm oil and coffee plantations.
The development reflects the growing importance of location data to confectionery manufacturers seeking to understand where ingredients originate and whether production is linked to environmental risks.
Ferrero has worked with Starling for a decade. Developed by Airbus and Earthworm Foundation, Starling combines satellite imagery and geospatial data to examine agricultural landscapes at scale. Its analysis can highlight changes associated with deforestation and help businesses identify areas requiring closer investigation.
How does Ferrero use satellites to monitor cocoa plantations?
Satellite monitoring does not replace engagement on the ground. Ferrero combines the information produced by Starling with input from analysts, technology specialists, suppliers and local organisations. Potential concerns can prompt supplier discussions and targeted field visits.
This combination is intended to help the company build a more detailed understanding of the conditions surrounding ingredient production. It can also support traceability by connecting plantation locations with information about sourcing regions and agricultural practices. Ferrero currently applies the technology to cocoa, palm oil and coffee, commodities frequently grown in landscapes containing forests and important habitats.
For the confectionery sector, cocoa monitoring is particularly significant. Manufacturers face increasing pressure to demonstrate that beans have not been produced on recently deforested land. Satellite data can provide evidence at a scale that would be difficult to achieve through physical inspections, while directing limited auditing resources towards locations where risks appear greatest.
Can satellite data help confectionery companies meet EUDR requirements?
Ferrero says its Starling programme is aligned with the traceability and monitoring requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation. The legislation has accelerated demand for accurate farm coordinates, supply-chain mapping and evidence capable of supporting due-diligence assessments.
Technology alone, however, cannot confirm every aspect of regulatory compliance or responsible sourcing. Satellite images must be interpreted accurately, linked to reliable supplier information and supported by investigation where potential problems emerge. Cloud cover, farm boundaries, mixed land uses and incomplete sourcing records can all complicate analysis.
The value of the approach therefore lies in combining wide-area monitoring with human knowledge and local verification. As traceability expectations increase, this model could become increasingly important across cocoa supply chains.
Ferrero’s programme demonstrates how confectionery businesses are moving beyond periodic supplier assessments towards continuous, data-supported oversight. By integrating satellite intelligence with field-level partnerships, manufacturers can identify environmental change earlier, strengthen due diligence and make sourcing decisions based on a clearer understanding of the landscapes supporting their products.
