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Starling is a satellite monitoring solution built to help companies meet their no-deforestation and net-zero commitments.
A report by Forest Trends highlighted that the number of companies making commitments to eradicate deforestation rose by 22% to 447 between 2016 and 2017.
Users can monitor forest cover, trace commodities to mills and plantations, and receive near real-time deforestation alerts. Earthworm helps interpret this data and link it to supplier engagement on the ground.
With over 1.3 million images analysed, Starling supports organisations in 25+ countries to verify no-deforestation claims, meet sustainability targets, and prepare for regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Starling brings together technology and local insight—turning supply chain uncertainty into clarity, and clarity into action.
Forests are under pressure—cleared for commodities, degraded by poor land-use decisions, and monitored too slowly to stop the damage. Agriculture and livestock remain the leading drivers of deforestation globally, much of it destined for export.
Companies, regulators and communities need to act—but to act, they first need to see. Starling provides the clarity and confidence to take the right steps at the right time.
Agriculture and livestock remain the leading drivers of deforestation globally, much of it destined for export. Companies, regulators and communities need to act—but to act, they first need to see.
Starling provides the clarity and confidence to take the right steps at the right time.
Monitoring supply chains is complex. With fragmented sourcing networks and limited transparency, businesses often struggle to track their full impact. Earthworm's Rob McWilliam, Director of Technical Services, explores some of the key challenges companies face in ensuring deforestation-free sourcing—and how solutions like Starling are bridging the gap.
Starling offers a layered approach to forest and land-use monitoring:
Airbus' satellite technology meets Earthworm's supply chain know-how
Choose from web portals, reports, and support packages tailored to your needs
Not just maps—Starling offers early warnings, verification, impact tracking, and engagement support
Progress on responsible supply chains in the palm oil sector has meant a growing number of methodologies aiming to support companies to become deforestation-free.
However, the adoption of multiple methodologies across the industry has introduced complexity, leaving businesses to navigate a range of approaches and definitions. With this in mind, Earthworm recognises value in aligning our approach with the broader industry to accommodate alternative pathways for categorising volumes as Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF). As such, this document offers practical guidance on the use of the DCF methodology for palm oil as developed by the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition (FPC). It also clarifies how Earthworm interprets and reports on DCF for its members. Download below now.
Earthworm's Deforestation & Conversion Free (DCF) Methodology (Palm Oil - V1.0, April 2025)
Starling combines cutting-edge monitoring technology with in-house expertise and market knowledge to allow users to take action and to drive change.
Starling is an important tool both for Earthworm Foundation members and non-members.
Whether you are a brand, producer, refinery, government or NGO, there’s always a use for Starling.
VERIFY - Empower users to verify No-Deforestation commitments
HISTORICAL ANALYSIS - Deforestation evolution data to understand trends and set strategies
ENGAGE - Bring stakeholders together towards preventing and eliminating deforestation
EARLY WARNING - Deforestation signals to guide proactive actions
HOT SPOTS - Prioritisation for efficient reaction and risk mitigation
OPTIMIZE - Focus the resources where the biggest impact can be made
IMPACT - Measure the outcome of actions towards deforestation
COMMUNICATION - Evidence-based tool to support communications needs
All of this can be done through a user-friendly interphase, designed to navigate through global supply chains to easily identify changes and make informed decisions on where and how to act. The information is accessible at any time, and can complemented with proprietary information via a secure web based platform.
On top of it all, our Starling team works closely with your project leads to make sure that its outputs are integrated within a larger strategy.
Find out more at Starling-Verification.com
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TRACK
historical land-use change (up to 20 years back)
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RECEIVE
near-real-time deforestation alerts
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IDENTIFFY
deforestation hotspots
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GUIDE
proactive supplier engagement
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ASSESS
and verify NDV and Net Zero claims
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ALIGN
with EUDR compliance needs
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SUPPORT
forest restoration by tracking tree planting and regeneration
A report may say your supply chain is 90% deforestation-free—but what about the other 10%? That’s where action is needed. Numbers alone don’t change forests, but Starling’s data helps businesses turn insight into impact.
Our Supply Chain Analysis team works with large companies, combining Starling’s satellite insights with on-the-ground expertise. By mapping risk areas, engaging suppliers, and prioritising conservation actions, we help businesses take meaningful steps towards truly deforestation-free supply chains.
Verify progress on NDV and Net Zero goals
Use cases:
Engage suppliers with tailored action plans
Reduce costs and increase scale compared to ground monitoring alone
Track and measure impact over time
Monitor restoration efforts, including tree survival rates
Support multi-stakeholder collaboration with shared, objective data
Learn how companies use Starling to navigate complexity and build deforestation-free supply chains.
of forest monitored globally (2024)
across 5 continents (Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe)
Palm oil, cocoa, coffee, rubber, pulp & paper, coconut, soy, sugarcane
mills monitored
of deforestation detected within concessions (2022)
of deforestation detected within 50km of mills
farms monitored (2022)
sourcing boundaries monitored
monitored (2022)
A 2023 global accuracy assessment led by Earthworm Foundation confirmed that 90% of all forest cover changes detected by Starling were validated in the field. Starling’s alerts are built using industry-recognised practices developed by Pontus Olofsson and Food and Agriculture Association (FAO)—ensuring confidence in the data that informs action.
Starling is used by over 20 global brands and organisations, including: Nestlé, Ferrero, Hershey, Colgate-Palmolive, Reckitt, Önem Cocoa, PZ Cussons, and others.
We also collaborate with:
(e.g. SODEFOR in Côte d’Ivoire)
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100% satellite monitoring for global palm oil since 2018
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Achieved 96.3% deforestation-free palm oil supply
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Prioritised engagement on pulp, paper, and coconut
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Integrated into Forest Positive Strategy
Ferrero
Partner since 2013, committed to satellite monitoring since 2021
Achieved 99.7% deforestation-free palm oil supply chain
Hershey
Joined Starling in 2021
Rolling out NDV tracking across palm oil, soy and pulp
Önem Cocoa (Turkey)
Deep-dive supplier assessments with Earthworm
Piloted NDV tracking to build sustainable sourcing for clients like Godiva
Cavally Forest, Côte d’Ivoire
Once under threat from intensive cocoa farming, Cavally forest is now a model of regeneration.
Learn how companies use Starling to navigate complexity and build deforestation-free supply chains.
Case Studies
Learn how companies use Starling to navigate complexity and build deforestation-free supply chains.
Whether you're a brand, a trader, or a policymaker, Starling helps you move from intention to impact.
Contact us to learn how Starling can support your goals.
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