PbN launches free tool navigator as EUDR enforcement countdown begins

Preferred by Nature has launched the full version of the Traceability Tools Navigator (TTN), a public online platform designed to bring clarity to the fast-growing market for digital traceability, due diligence and supply-chain risk assessment tools. 

The full version marks a significant step beyond the earlier beta version. TTN now brings together a revised feature framework, enhanced website filtering and comparison functions, integrated tool verification, and a dedicated TTN Knowledge Hub to help users interpret traceability concepts and tool claims. 

Actors are under increasing pressure to understand where products come from, assess deforestation and legality risks, and exchange reliable data across complex supply chains. A wide range of SaaS tools has evolved, providing services on traceability and risk assessment, an ecosystem that is hard to navigate for tool users who may not be sure about their concrete needs and how to best compare available services. 

TTN responds by offering a neutral, structured and user-friendly way to explore, filter and compare tools. The revised framework organises tool information across clear categories including tool scope, data governance, interoperability, data collection, traceability, data analysis, and financial transparency or benefit-sharing features. 

Unlike one-off market scans or high-level directories, TTN provides in-depth tool information structured around an expert-curated framework. It is designed as a living resource rather than a static snapshot: profiles, features and guidance are updated as the traceability tool ecosystem evolves. TTN further distinguishes independently verified information from self-disclosed tool claims, giving users a more reliable basis for comparing solutions. 

“Tool users and stakeholders need practical guidance, not more confusion,” said Tobias Stäuble, Global Traceability Lead at Preferred by Nature. “The full version of TTN helps users move from broad questions to practical comparisons: what a tool does, which use cases it supports, and which tool functions have been independently verified by Preferred by Nature.” 

What is new in the full version 

• A revised framework: fewer, clearer and more practical feature categories help users understand tool scope and differentiation. The revised framework has a narrower scope, focusing on deforestation and conversion risk-related use cases while still offering tool providers space to communicate their full scope of services. 
• Enhanced filtering and comparison: users can filter by tool type, commodity, use case and detailed framework features, then compare selected tools side by side. Pre-configured filter sets for typical use cases help users understand their needs. 
• Tool verification integrated into the platform: verified tools are flagged, and users can switch to a verified view to only see information independently checked by Preferred by Nature.  
• A TTN Knowledge Hub: guidance, traceability glossary, framework explanations, case studies and verification methodology provide deep insights into the global traceability ecosystem 

The navigator includes tool profiles based on structured information provided by tool providers, with a clear distinction between self-disclosed information and independently verified information where available. 

The platform is particularly relevant for actors working with forest-risk commodities, such as timber, palm oil, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and beef/leather, and for organisations preparing for or implementing due diligence requirements such as the EU Deforestation Regulation. 

The initiative is led by Preferred by Nature, with strategic support from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and input from ISEAL and other stakeholders. The project was made possible thanks to a grant from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and UK International Development from the UK government. 

What users can do on TTN 

• Explore digital tools for traceability, due diligence, risk assessment and geospatial monitoring. 
• Filter tools by user needs, commodities, use cases and functional capabilities. 
• Compare tools side by side using the revised feature framework. 
• See whether tool information is self-disclosed or verified by Preferred by Nature. 
• Access TTN Knowledge Hub guidance on traceability concepts, framework categories and verification. 
  
  Featured image: A cocoa smallholder in Lampung, Indonesia, taking part in a project implemented by Preferred by Nature in collaboration with other stakeholders.