Much of what we buy comes from land that should not have been deforested. This is because the methods we use to verify where a product comes from don’t work – they are inefficient, paper-based and open to fraud. World Forest ID has developed a way to overcome this problem by using scientific analyses to test a product’s origin based on its physical properties.

All plants have chemical, genetic and anatomical signatures that are specific to their species and location of origin. By creating a detailed library of geo-referenced plant samples from around the world we can enable end products to be tested against this library to see if they originate from where they claim. With such accurate, indisputable data, we’re making it possible for people to consume responsibly and for governments to prosecute criminal behaviour.