Swift Geospatial is thrilled to announce its participation and exhibition at the World Cocoa Conference. Paying More for a Sustainable Cocoa, set to take place in Brussels from April 21st to April 24th, 2024. This globally recognized event serves as a pivotal platform for industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to converge and address critical issues surrounding cocoa sustainability. Swift Geospatial will bring its expertise to the forefront, showcasing cutting-edge solutions that leverage advanced satellite imagery and earth monitoring technologies to combat Environmental and Urban D ..read more

How will the EU Deforestation Regulation impact smallholder farmers? The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) implementation deadline is fast approaching. By 30 December 2024, suppliers of certain commodities to the EU must comply with regulations certifying these commodities and their by-products as deforestation-free. Commodities listed under the regulation include soy, cattle, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee and rubber which are all classed as high-risk on the deforestation scale. However, there are rumours that the EU may delay this deadline due to supplier country concerns around ..read more

Job Title: Junior Sales Consultant Company: Swift Geospatial Location: Pretoria, South Africa About Us: Swift Geospatial is based in Pretoria, South Africa. We are a GIS and Remote Sensing company focusing on converting geospatial data into knowledge. We work across many market verticals, namely Mining, Forestry, Agriculture and Conservation. The main goal of Swift Geospatial is to create custom monitoring solutions to provide decision support to our clients across the globe. Position Overview: We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Junior Sales Consultant to join our sales team. This is ..read more

As global demand for soy and cattle increases, how can EUDR and other legislation help prevent negative climate impacts? In a world where deforestation management and climate conservation are becoming increasingly pressing, soybean production and cattle farming are being spotlighted. Not only are they both listed as top deforestation drivers under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), but soybeans are a key component of animal feed, with reports that 75% of the world’s soy production is used for this purpose. In key soybean cultivation zones like South America, areas once used f ..read more

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) aims to promote deforestation-free global supply chains, which will contribute to reducing carbon emissions by at least 32 million metric tonnes a year. This regulation is crucial in better managing and mitigating the production and consumption of some of the biggest imported goods and commodities contributing to global deforestation. Still, it doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges. Two of the deforestation-linked commodities listed explicitly under EUDR are cocoa and coffee. We go into more detail to unpack why these commodities are listed ..read more

On 06 December 2022, the European Union approved the EU Deforestation Regulation, or EUDR, which is a bold and much-needed step in curbing deforestation, forest degradation, and general environmental and human rights infractions in the production and consumption of certain imported and exported goods and commodities within the European Union. These include palm oil, cattle, timber, coffee, cocoa, rubber and soy. Derived products also included in the Regulation are chocolate, furniture, printed paper, and certain palm-oil-based products among others. In this article we touch on how Swift Geosp ..read more

Accurately monitoring and managing forested areas is crucial for long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability. According to a McKinsey report, “globally, about 300 million hectares of plantation forests…and 900 million hectares of natural forests used for wood production…together supply nearly two billion cubic meters of industrial wood and two billion cubic meters of fuelwood for household heating and cooking.” Ensuring the most efficient and future-proof forestry monitoring and management processes are in place is fundamental to keeping things in balance. Historically, these ..read more

When it comes to forestry management and planning, the more information you have at your fingertips, the better you can get a bird’s-eye view of potential risks, such as climate change, deforestation, general forest degradation and the impacts of forest adjacent communities on forest sustainability. Having this information is the first crucial step. However, sifting through this information and understanding how to use and interpret different pieces of data for actionable outcomes is even more critical. Decision Support Systems (DSS) are vital to achieving these actionable outcomes and are th ..read more

European Forestry Regulations – The Journey To A Climate-Neutral EU by 2050 According to Forest Europe, forests cover 227 million hectares or 35% of total land in Europe. Other wooded land accounts for an additional 27 million hectares. The importance of protecting these forests cannot be understated. Not only do forests help in fighting climate change as a critical carbon sink – absorbing around 10% of total EU emissions – but they are also a source of biodiversity, on top of aiding in the prevention of soil erosion and other natural disasters. Ensuring the preservation of these forests and m ..read more

Forestry legislation and policy across Africa and South Africa To protect the roughly 6.3 million square kilometres of forest in Africa, robust policies and legislation need to be put in place. Inroads are happening globally to better conserve, coordinate and sustain forested areas, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to South Africa and beyond. But this progress isn’t without its share of challenges. The regulatory environment has had to shift to accommodate unavoidable pressures such as globalisation, climate change, and land reform. But there are more nuanced aspects to consider too, lik ..read more