The illegal timber trade is the most profitable natural resource crime, valued at USD 50-152 billion per year, with up to 90% of tropical timber in global supply chains potentially illegally sourced. In addition, conversion to agriculture is the main driver of tropical deforestation, causing loss of biodiversity, livelihoods and ecosystem function. World Forest ID is a U.S. non-profit organization developing the world’s largest georeferenced database of timber and agricultural samples, with the ambition to create a new global standard for credible, science-based verification of species and origin. World Forest ID emerged from a consortium of partners which included the US Forest Service, World Resources Institute (WRI), Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Our reference database houses (1) geolocated physical wood and forest risk commodity samples collected globally, and (2) analytical data against which species identity and harvest origin claims can be verified. As of April 2023, we have collected over 23,000 wood samples (>9,000 trees, >60 countries and >350 species) and over 1,000 soy, cocoa and coffee beans (> 6 countries). The scientific methods used by World Forest ID affiliated labs include Stable Isotope Ratio analysis, DART-TOF Mass Spectrometry, Trace Element analysis, DNA analysis and wood anatomy (manual and machine vision). These different data types are then combined in machine learning models, together with species distribution and satellite data, to increase the accuracy of both species identity and harvest origin determination. As collections for World Forest ID continue to be carried out across the globe, the reference database and data analysis models become an increasingly valuable tool for both enforcement and industry stakeholders