A

AgriFood or AgroFood Systems –All interconnected activities and actors involved in producing food and non-food agricultural products including harvesting, processing, storing, distributing and cconsumption.

AgriTech – The use of technology, digital solutions, and innovative products to increase efficiency and profitability across the agrifood supply chain.

Audit Trail – A chronological record of activities, transactions, and changes in the supply chain.

Authentication – The process of verifying that a product or data is genuine using various techniques to verify origin, species, variety, and production methods. These techniques include chemical, DNA, isotopic, spectral, and mass spectrometry analysis.

Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) – Technology that captures data automatically, including barcodes, smart cards, biometrics, and RFID.

b

Barcode – A visual representation of data readable by a barcode scanner, used to identify and track products in the supply chain.

Batch (aka lot) – Individual products are often produced simultaneously in a process (as a batch) rather than individually. A batch number helps a manufacturer identify when, where, and how products were produced.

Batch Traceability – Ability to track information about a specific group of products (batch) within a business or supply chain.

Batch-level or Lot-level data – Information about a defined quantity of a material or product that is processed together, including production, material and quality control data.

Blockchain – A decentralised digital ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network. Data stored on a blockchain is immutable.  

c

Catch Documentation and Traceability (CDT) –  The practice of documenting key information about the harvest, processing, and transportation of a fisheries product from its import or point of final sale back to its point of origin.

Circular Economy – Opposed to a linear economy where materials are extracted, used and disposed of, a circular economy keeps materials in continuous use in order to reduce waste and pollution.

Cold Chain – A supply chain that maintains products at or below a particular temperature through refrigerated storage and transport.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – The commitment of corporations to integrate environmental, social, and governance responsibilities into their businesses and supply chains.

d

Data Architecture – Data architecture comprises models, policies, rules, or standards that govern how data is stored, managed, and utilised in an information system.

Data Capture – The process of collecting and recording relevant data points associated with the movement and handling of products within the supply chain.

Data Carriers – Labels or tags containing data that are physically attached to a unit to pair data with a product. Data carriers can be machine-readable, such as barcodes and RFID tags, or may be human-readable, such as standard labels or both, such as hybrid labels.

Data Governance – The development, execution, and supervision of policies, programs, and practices that standardise, collect, control, protect, deliver, and enhance the value of data and information assets.

Decentralized Data – The process of attaching data to a product, rather than the product owner, using blockchain technology.

Digital Product Passport (DPP) – A virtual record associated with an individual product, often providing information about the product’s origins and environmental impact. These are designed to inform consumers about whether or not a product has been produced using sustainable practices.

Due Diligence – Auditing a supply chain to identify, mitigate, and account for potential environmental and social issues.

E

Electronic Traceability – The use of digital systems and technologies to track a product’s journey through the supply chain, offering real-time data and enhanced transparency

End-of-Life (EoL) Processing – This is the final stage of a product’s existence in manufacturing and product life cycles. EoL processing involves the reuse, repurposing, or recycling of the components in a product.

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) – A framework companies use to evaluate how their operations impact three core pillars of sustainability.

F

Fishery Information System (FIS) – A general term used to describe an electronic data system to collect, manage, and share fisheries information for various uses.

G

Greenwashing – The act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits or sustainable origins of a product or practice.

H

Hard Technology – Refers to asset-intensive, physical, science-based technology, including innovations that integrate into existing production systems.

I

Interoperability – The ability of different systems, devices, applications or products to connect and communicate in a coordinated way without effort from the end user.

ISO – International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental, international organisation that develops standards to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems.

IUU Fishing – Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a term used to describe a wide variety of unsustainable fishing practices.

K

KDE – Key Data Element – Key Data Element (KDE) also referred to as Critical Data Element (CDE) can be defined as elements with material impact on an organisation’s business operations, decisions, and other data demands such as regulatory, compliance, and market demands.

L

Labelling – the display of labels on products which provide essential information for the tracking of that product through the supply chain, including batch numbers, manufacturing dates and origin.

P

Product Backward Traceability – Otherwise known as top-down traceability, this refers to tracking a product’s supply chain after manufacturing.

Q

QR Code – A QR code (quick response code) is a type of two-dimensional barcode that is used to provide easy access to online information through the camera on a smartphone or tablet.

R

Recall – Recall or Product recall is the process of retrieving and replacing defective or unsafe consumer goods.

Regulatory Due Diligence – An assessment of compliance with existing regulations related to social and environmental concerns.

S

SDG – Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were introduced 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly. It includes 17 sustainability goals to be achieved by 2030.

Soft Technology  – digital solutions and software applications that enable businesses to track and manage food products throughout the supply chain, enhancing food safety, quality control, and regulatory compliance. 

T

Traceability – the ability to share information about a product along its supply chain, across production, processing, and distribution. Effective traceability provides information about a product’s journey from the farm to the end consumer

V

Verification – Ensuring that a claim, assertion, or statement is true, accurate, or compliant with relevant standards, regulations, or requirements.

W

WTO – World Trade Organisation (WTO) is intergovernmental organisation that determines international trade rules.