Glossary
Your go-to glossary for Agritech, Supply Chain, Sustainable Farming and related terms. Whether you’re a farmer, seed company, exporter or Agri-Business professional, this guide helps you understand key concepts, technologies and practices that are shaping modern agriculture in India and beyond.
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A
- Adulteration
- The addition of unauthorized or inferior substances that compromise product quality and safety.
- Agri Exporters
- Businesses that sell agricultural products to international markets.
- Agri-Business
- Business related to farming, including growing crops, raising animals, processing, and selling agricultural products.
- Agri-Input
- Seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and other materials used in crop production.
- Agritech
- The use of technology and innovation in agriculture to improve productivity, efficiency and sustainability.
- Agroforestry
- A land-use system where crops or livestock are integrated with trees for sustainability and higher returns.
- Anti-Counterfeiting
- Steps and technologies used to stop the production and sale of fake or duplicate products.
- Apiature (Apiary)
- A designated place or facility where beehives are kept and managed for beekeeping activities, including honey production, colony maintenance, and pollination services.
- Audit Trail
- A chronological record of all actions and changes made to a product’s data across the supply chain.
- Authentication
- The process of verifying the originality of agri-products, ensuring they are not counterfeit.
B
- Batch Tracking
- Monitoring crops and produce in batches to trace quality, origin and compliance.
- Blockchain
- A digital ledger technology that securely records transactions and product movements in agriculture supply chains.
- Brand Protection
- Safeguarding a company’s products from counterfeiting and misuse to maintain trust and reputation.
C
- Carbon Emission
- The release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, often from farming, machinery, or energy use. Reducing emissions helps make agriculture more sustainable and climate-friendly.
- Carbon Neutral
- A state where the amount of carbon dioxide emitted is balanced by an equivalent amount removed from or offset in the atmosphere, resulting in zero net emissions.
- Climate Control
- Managing temperature, humidity, and light in greenhouses or farms to improve crop yields.
- Consumer Channel
- The path through which products reach the end customer, such as retail shops or e-commerce.
- Contract Farming
- An agreement where farmers grow crops for buyers under pre-decided terms and prices.
- Counterfeit Seeds
- Fake or poor-quality seeds sold illegally, leading to reduced yields and farmer losses.
- Crop Traceability
- The ability to track a crop’s journey from seed to harvest, processing, and final consumer.
D
- Decentralized Infrastructure
- Localized facilities (like packhouses or cold storage) built closer to farmers to reduce costs and wastage.
- Digital Product Passport (DPP)
- A digital record that contains verified information about a product’s origin, processing, testing, and compliance history.
- Digital Signature
- A secure electronic signature used to verify authenticity and protect data from tampering.
E
- Ethical Sourcing
- Procuring raw materials in a responsible manner that respects environmental and labor standards.
- EUDR
- European Union Deforestation Regulation, ensuring agri-products entering the EU are not linked to deforestation.
- EXIM (Export-Import)
- Refers to the international trade of goods and services. In agriculture, EXIM covers the export of produce and the import of inputs, technology, or equipment.
F
- Farm to Fork
- The complete process of food production, from the farm where it’s grown to the consumer’s plate.
- FMCG
- Fast-Moving Consumer Goods - Products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost, such as packaged foods, beverages, dairy, and personal care items. In agriculture, FMCG includes processed foods derived from farm produce.
- Food Traceability
- The ability to track and record the history of food through all stages of production, processing, and distribution.
- FPO (Farmer Producer Organization)
- A collective of farmers that pools resources, improves bargaining power, and enables access to markets.
G
- GI Tag (Geographical Indication Tag)
- A certification that a product comes from a specific region and has unique qualities (e.g., Darjeeling Tea, Basmati Rice).
- GPS
- Global Positioning System, used for location mapping, monitoring and precision farming.
H
- Hologram
- A security feature placed on products or packaging to prevent counterfeiting and ensure authenticity.
- Horticulture
- The science and practice of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants.
- HSN Code
- A standardized system of codes used globally to classify goods for trade and taxation purposes.
I
- ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
- India’s premier organization for agricultural research and education, developing improved crop varieties, farming techniques, and technologies.
- Immutable Records
- Data entries that cannot be modified or deleted once recorded, ensuring trust and transparency.
- INDG.A.P (India Good Agricultural Practices)
- INDG.A.P is a national certification standard developed by the Quality Council of India to promote safe, sustainable, and traceable agricultural practices in India. It is aligned with global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) principles and supports farmers in meeting food safety, quality, and sustainability requirements.
- IoT (Internet of Things)
- Smart sensors and devices used in farming to monitor conditions like soil moisture, temperature, and crop health.
J
K
- Kharif Season
- Crops grown during the monsoon (June–October). They depend on rainfall. Examples: rice, maize, cotton, soybean.
L
- Livestock
- Domesticated animals raised on farms for food, fiber, labor, or other agricultural products. Examples include cows, goats, sheep, poultry, and buffalo.
- Logistics
- The planning and movement of agricultural goods from farms to markets efficiently.
M
- Market Linkage
- Connecting farmers directly with buyers to ensure better prices and reduce middlemen.
N
- National Horticulture Board (NHB)
- A government body that supports horticulture development through subsidies and schemes.
- Nursery
- A place where young plants or seedlings are grown before being transplanted to the field.
- Nutrients
- Essential substances (like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) that plants need for healthy growth.
O
- Organic Farming
- A farming method that avoids synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, focusing on natural growth and sustainability.
- Origin Verification
- Validation of where a product was sourced or produced, including geographic and supplier information.
P
- Package of Practices (PoP)
- A standardized set of recommended agricultural practices covering crop selection, input usage, cultivation methods, pest management, harvesting, and post-harvest handling to ensure optimal yield, quality, and compliance.
- Packhouse
- A packhouse is a facility where harvested crops—such as fruits, vegetables, or other perishables—are cleaned, sorted, graded, and packaged before reaching markets or exporters.
- Pollinator
- An insect, bird, or animal that transfers pollen from one flower to another, helping plants reproduce. Common pollinators include bees, butterflies, and birds.
- Polyhouse
- A type of protected farming structure made with a transparent plastic (polyethylene) sheet. It creates a controlled environment to protect crops from excess heat, rain, wind, and pests, helping farmers grow high-value crops with better yields.
- Precision Agriculture
- Farming practices that use technology (AI, drones, IoT) to optimize crop yields with minimal resources.
- Processing
- The set of activities that transform raw agricultural produce into value-added products through cleaning, grading, milling, packaging, or preservation.
- Product Recall
- A product recall is when a company withdraws or asks customers to return a product because it has been found to be defective, unsafe or non-compliant with regulations
Q
- QR Code
- A machine-readable code consisting of black and white squares that stores information. In agriculture, it’s used for traceability, product authentication, and quick access to farm or supply chain data.
- Quality Standards
- Rules and certifications that ensure agricultural products meet safety and quality requirements for local and global markets
R
- Rabi Season
- Crops grown during the winter (October–March). They rely more on irrigation. Examples: wheat, mustard, barley, peas.
- Rate List
- A Rate List is an official document or table that shows the prices of products, services, or commodities offered by a business, cooperative, or institution.
- Regulatory Compliance
- Following laws, standards, and guidelines set by government or international authorities to ensure food safety, quality, and traceability in agriculture and agri-business.
- Remote Sensing
- The use of satellites, drones, and sensors to monitor crops, soil, and weather conditions.
- RFID
- RFID ( Radio Frequency Identification ) is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify and track objects, animals, or people through tags containing electronically stored information.
- Risk Mitigation
- Identifying and reducing potential risks related to fraud, compliance failure, or supply chain disruption.
S
- SATHI
- Seed Authentication, Traceability, and Holistic Inventory, a system for secure seed tracking in India.
- Seed Lifecycle
- The complete stages of a seed, from development and certification to planting, growth, and harvest.
- Serialization
- Assigning a unique identifier to each product unit to enable individual-level tracking and verification.
- SHG
- Self-Help Group) - A small, informal group of farmers or rural members who pool resources, savings, and efforts to access credit, share knowledge, and improve livelihoods.
- Single Origin
- Coffee beans that come from one specific farm, region, or producer, offering a unique flavor profile linked to that particular source.
- Smart Labels
- Digital labels (QR, NFC, RFID) that store and transmit product traceability information.
- Sourcing
- The process of identifying, evaluating, and obtaining raw materials, inputs, or products from suppliers to support farming or agribusiness operations.
- Supply Chain
- The journey of a product from production to delivery, including storage and transport.
- Supply Chain Transparency
- Making every step of the agri-value chain visible, from production to consumer.
- Sustainability
- Farming in a way that protects the environment, supports farmers, and ensures long-term productivity.
T
- Tamper-Proof Packaging
- Packaging that shows visible signs if opened, protecting authenticity of seeds and produce
- Traceability Platform
- A digital system (like Scalion) that ensures complete visibility of where products come from, how they are processed, and whether they are genuine.
- Trade
- The exchange of goods and services between people, companies, or countries for money or other valuable consideration.
U
- Unit Level Traceability
- Tracking products individually, from source to consumer, for full transparency.
- US FDA
- The United States Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food, drugs, and agriculture imports into the USA.
V
- Value Added Agri Products
- Farm products that are processed or enhanced (like jams, juices, or packaged foods) to increase value and profit.
W
- Warehouse
- Storage facilities for agricultural products to maintain quality and ensure steady supply throughout the year.
X
Y
- Yield Mapping
- Using technology to record and analyze the productivity of crops across different areas of a farm.
Z