AgriGuide Newsletter #14 – April 2026

27 Apr 2026

From the Project Chair: A note of Thanks

This message is, above all, a heartfelt thank you.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to reaching a major milestone: more than 1,000 labels digitised across 25 countries and with 24 companies. This achievement truly belongs to you. It reflects the time, expertise, and dedication that so many individuals and teams have invested in AgriGuide.

What makes this milestone particularly encouraging is not only the volume delivered, but also the quality behind it. Thanks to continuous input from across countries and organisations, the data model has evolved into something already highly usable, even as the application itself remains in its beta phase. Achieving this level of maturity at such an early stage is a remarkable accomplishment and a strong testament to the collaborative spirit of this community.

We are, of course, mindful that there is still a significant journey ahead, with more labels to digitise and other companies to onboard. However, reaching this first 1,000 is meaningful. It demonstrates that our approach is working, that momentum is building, and that we are laying solid foundations to scale with confidence in the future.

I find this energising. Thank you for making this milestone possible, and for the shared sense of ownership you continue to bring to AgriGuide. I very much look forward to building on this momentum together in the months ahead.

With warm regards,

Georgiana

Strong momentum for AgriGuide in France

Growing visibility and industry engagement

AgriGuide continues to gain strong traction in France, with increasing visibility and engagement across the agricultural ecosystem. The platform has recently benefited from positive coverage in French agricultural media, reflecting growing interest and recognition at the national level.

Industry engagement is also progressing steadily. Sixteen out of eighteen Phytéis members have now signed, or are in the process of signing, their participation agreements. With this level of commitment, France is well-positioned to move into Phase 5: active digitalisation.

As awareness of AgriGuide continues to grow, interest from companies and stakeholders remains strong. This reflects a shared recognition of the platform’s role in supporting digitalisation and alignment across the agricultural value chain in France.

3. Strong momentum for AgriGuide in France

National regulatory agriculture day: strengthening institutional visibility

As part of this growing momentum, AgriGuide was recently presented at a national regulatory agriculture day in France, marking an important milestone in strengthening the platform’s visibility and relevance within the regulatory landscape.

The presentation highlighted AgriGuide’s role in supporting digitalisation across the agricultural sector and positioned the initiative within broader national discussions involving regulatory and industry stakeholders. This engagement also contributed to additional media attention shortly afterwards, further reinforcing AgriGuide’s national profile.

CropLife Europe 2026 Conference

The CropLife Europe 2026 Conference provided a valuable platform for bringing together science, policy, digital innovation, and technology in meaningful dialogue on the future of European agriculture.

Over the course of two days, policymakers, farmers, scientists, industry leaders, and representatives from civil society engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics shaping the sector. These included innovation in crop protection, evolving regulatory frameworks, digitalisation, trade, and agricultural resilience.

A consistent message emerged across multiple sessions: effective collaboration across the entire value chain is essential to ensure that Europe’s farmers have access to the tools they need to produce safe, sustainable, and affordable food, while meeting shared environmental and climate objectives.

A dedicated session on the new labelling regulation was held twice during the conference. It featured an update from Monica Garcia Aguilar of the European Commission’s DG SANTE on the proposed regulatory changes, followed by insights from Max Schulman, Finnish farmer and Chairman of the Cereals Working Party at Copa-Cogeca. Max shared a practical perspective on the value of digitised labels for farmers.

The session also included a demonstration of the AgriGuide digital labelling and Simple Application Records solutions, presented by Georgiana Hayes, Chair of the AgriGuide project. It concluded with a dynamic panel discussion and audience Q&A, facilitated by Anne Alix, Co-Chair of AgriGuide.

The sessions were well attended and fostered constructive exchanges on recent regulatory developments, as well as on farmers’ perspectives regarding the accessibility and practical benefits of digital labels and associated solutions.

AgriGuide Country Roll-Out

Over the past two months, AgriGuide has made steady progress across the EU, with 24 companies in 25 countries now engaged in digitising their portfolios. This growth reflects practical uptake and increasing familiarity with the platform. At the same time, several countries have gone live or are close to going live with AgriGuide.eu websites in their local languages, and recent improvements to reference data have led to the publication of more labels. Work continues across the remaining countries, with further expansions expected as they reach readiness for full portfolio digitisation.

From the Technical Corner

Following the technical roadmap shared in our last newsletter, 2026 is shaping up as a year focused on maturing the platform and its ways of working. The objective is to place AgriGuide on a solid footing as it moves into a more operational phase, while preparing for 2027 and beyond.

A key step has been the establishment of a technical governance team, now meeting monthly. This group takes a strategic, longer-term view of platform and ecosystem development. As part of its work, the team is defining a maturity scale to help assess progress over time and guide future priorities in a more structured way.

We are also strengthening how label data model updates are introduced. The latest release included a deliberately small and targeted “patch” update (v1.1.1), that changed just a single property. This enabled multi‑language support and allowed Finland and Belgium to fully use that data element, while keeping the impact minimal for all other countries. This approach demonstrates how future updates can be both meaningful and carefully controlled.

In parallel, we have put in place clearer engagement mechanisms for potential integration partners, supporting discussions both upstream (for example, label digitisation or authoring) and downstream (use of label data within farming software systems). While the technical building blocks, such as API endpoints, have existed from the start, the focus is now on governance, clarity, and simple communication materials that make it easier for partners to understand and explore integration opportunities.

Beyond the platform itself, AgriGuide continues to contribute to broader standardisation efforts. Most recently, project learnings were shared during the ISO TC347 plenary week in Cologne, helping align next steps for translating data model experience into concrete ISO standards.

Finally, building on earlier updates, Simple Application Records (SAppR) is currently being tested by representatives from the pilot countries. Feedback is now being collected and analysed, with a focus on refining the user experience and ensuring SAppR remains practical, simple, and fit for real-world use.

Meet the Team!

Hello from Gaëlle!

Here are the six questions we asked Gaëlle to get to know her a little better!

Before we get into AgriGuide, could you briefly introduce yourself?

My name is Gaëlle Der Hagopian. I’m French and currently living in France, near Lyon. I work at Bayer in the regulatory department for crop protection products. More specifically, I’m a Regulatory Policy and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, focused on digital farming in the EMEA region, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

My academic background is in formulation for cosmetic products, so originally a different chemical field. During my studies, I had some exposure to regulatory topics, which sparked my interest, particularly around the safe use of products. That interest naturally followed me into crop protection, where safety and compliance are central.

On a personal note, I live with my husband and our two very energetic boys. Spending time with them and playing together is something I really enjoy and that gives me a lot of energy. I also practise sport regularly, including running, ballet and yoga.

Could you tell us a little more about your role within AgriGuide, including your main responsibilities and day-to-day focus?

I have been part of the AgriGuide Steering Team for the last two years. Until the 1st of April, I also held the role of Roll-out Coordination Lead, which meant ensuring coordination among the 27 countries, the national teams and the CropLife Europe AgriGuide team, in particular the tech and regulatory pillars.

A significant part of my work was supporting communication between different groups. Regulatory and technical teams often work towards the same objective but express it in very different ways. Helping bridge those perspectives and facilitate understanding was a key focus for me, and something I genuinely enjoyed.

What made the role particularly rewarding was working across 27 countries and cultures. I also had the opportunity to support and mentor the Roll-out Coordinators involved in the project, especially in understanding the regulatory context, which was a very enriching experience for me.

How would you describe the way you work and what motivates you most?

I would describe myself as positive, energetic and solution-oriented. I always try to focus on the positive side of a situation, even when things are complex or challenging.

I’m deeply convinced of the value of digital applications in crop protection, especially when it comes to connecting high-quality label data with machinery. This has real potential to support farmers in applying plant protection products in a compliant and responsible way. It’s an aspect of AgriGuide that I truly believe in.

When I trust in the value and purpose of a project, I naturally put a lot of energy into helping move things forward. That belief and commitment really shape the way I work.

Do you have a small habit or moment during the day that helps you stay grounded or energised when things get busy?

Even though I’m generally quite energetic, I can feel pressure at times. To stay focused, I practise cardiac coherence, a simple breathing technique I use daily. I take short pauses during the day to breathe deeply and evenly, which helps lower stress and bring my attention back to what really matters.

I also stay physically active almost every day. These habits help me stay balanced, calm and present, especially during intense or busy periods.

What are you currently curious about or enjoying learning, whether related to work or completely outside of it?

Outside of work, I’ve practised ballet for many years, and I love everything related to dance, including ballet, contemporary and modern jazz. I’m always curious to learn more in this area.

I also practise yoga regularly. It helps me slow down, refocus and better prioritise what is important, both professionally and personally.

Another topic I’m very interested in is neuroscience. I find it fascinating to understand how people think and how their behaviour and reactions differ from one person to another. This interest developed particularly through my children, but it’s also extremely useful in a professional context, especially when it comes to communication and collaboration.

Looking ahead, what would you personally like to help improve or make easier for others involved in AgriGuide?

One of the main things I would like to continue supporting is making connections and collaboration between people easier. AgriGuide is a large and complex project, and most of our work happens virtually. While some teams have opportunities to meet in person, this is not possible for everyone involved.

Beyond being a digital tool for farmers, which is of course the core purpose, AgriGuide is also very much about people, trust and communication. We are all strongly aligned on the objectives and deeply committed to what we are trying to achieve, which creates a very solid foundation for collaboration.

Working smoothly across countries, cultures, organisations and disciplines is not always easy, especially in a project of this scale. I would like to continue contributing to making those interactions and connections feel as natural and seamless as possible.

Personally, I enjoy complexity. Finding ways to work effectively in complex environments is motivating for me, and I believe this mindset is shared by many people involved in AgriGuide.