AgriGuide Newsletter #16 – August 2026

From the Project Chair: A Summer Reflection on Community and Collaboration

The summer months have arrived with unusual intensity across much of Europe, bringing long stretches of heat and serving as a reminder of how important it is to occasionally slow down and take a breath.

As AgriGuide continues to evolve, it is easy to focus on the next milestone, the next discussion, or the next challenge to solve. Yet moments like these also give us an opportunity to step back and appreciate the people who make progress possible in the first place.

Across countries, companies, and disciplines, this community continues to demonstrate a remarkable willingness to collaborate, share knowledge, and support one another. While AgriGuide is built on technology, standards, and data, its greatest strength remains the people behind it.

As many of you prepare for a well-deserved break and others have returned, I hope you find time to disconnect from your routines, enjoy time with family and friends, and make the most of the season in whatever way feels right for you.

AgriGuide and the European farming community: a shared agenda

The discussion opened with a status update and a live demonstration of the platform. Our guests were positive about the progress made so far, and about the way the programme has been built up from what farmers and national farmer associations actually need.

The rest of the session looked ahead. We talked about how label data might be reused for wider reporting and compliance purposes, how to keep data governance transparent and trustworthy, and how to build stronger links with farming organisations in individual countries.

We also agreed to work together on a joint workshop later this year, showcasing the practical benefits AgriGuide brings to farmers and creating a forum for exchanging good practice. We look forward to reporting back on that in a future edition.

From the Technical Corner

Recent work across the Technology Pillar has focused on regulatory updates, future roadmap planning, and supporting countries preparing for launch.

Data Model and Regulatory Updates

Version 1.3 of the AgriGuide data model has now been released, introducing support for PPE information, initially focused on France. The release also includes related application rendering updates to support how this information is presented within AgriGuide. 

A revised CLP tile has also been introduced to reflect the latest CLP regulations. The updated design brings relevant information together in one place, making it easier for users to access and navigate regulatory content. 

The AgriGuide data model has also been published to a public GitHub repository, providing open access to version 1.3 and future updates. 

Planning the Next Phase 

The AgriGuide and Knowmatics teams recently held a face-to-face workshop to align on milestones and develop the roadmap for Product Catalogue activities. The outcomes of those discussions have also contributed to broader Technology Pillar planning for Q3, including the initial scoping of future v1.4 and v1.5 model updates. 

Supporting Rollouts and Operational Improvements

Work has continued to support upcoming country soft launches, including updates to application store materials and supporting launch assets. 

At the same time, improvements have been introduced to the reference data workflow. Smaller reference data changes can now be reviewed, approved, and published independently, removing the need to publish an entire vocabulary for every update. This will help streamline the management of routine reference data changes while maintaining the established governance process. 

Regulatory Update 

Following the adoption of Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1123 on 26 May 2026, attention is now turning to implementation and the practical application of the new requirements for plant protection product labelling.

As is often the case, adopting a regulation is only the beginning. While the framework is now in place, many practical questions will be addressed over time as Member States, authorities, and industry begin applying the new requirements in their own contexts.

For AgriGuide, this is a continuation of work already underway. The project has been preparing for digital labelling for several years, and many of the concepts reflected in the regulation are already familiar to the community. The focus now is on supporting consistent implementation across countries and ensuring that digital label information remains accessible, reliable, and practical for users.

AgriGuide Country Roll-Out

Country rollout activities continue throughout the summer period, with Working Groups encouraged to use the coming weeks to maintain momentum on label digitisation efforts. Countries are aligning on the labels to be digitised by year-end and coordinating with digitisation partners to ensure work can continue while reviewers and publishers are away, helping teams stay on track to meet agreed targets.

Alongside digitisation planning, countries are also focusing on documenting label-specific decisions and establishing a harmonised approach across participating companies. Maintaining a shared record of country-specific requirements will help ensure consistency, support future onboarding efforts, and provide a valuable reference during label reviews and Working Group discussions.

In parallel, the majority of participating countries whose local AgriGuide websites are not yet live are currently being supported in the website setup and implementation process. This work will help strengthen local engagement, provide a dedicated platform for country-specific information and updates, and ensure countries are well positioned to support the rollout and adoption of digitised labels once their websites go live.

Meet the Team!

Before we get into AgriGuide, could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?

I work for Corteva as Global Packaging Lead, responsible for the packaging technology discipline globally. I am a mechanical engineer by training. Most of my career has been in project management, building facilities and working in manufacturing, and for the last 15 years in Global R&D. Since 2015 I have also been involved in industry projects, including the CRISTAL traceability standards and chairing work on container management and life cycle management. That experience prepared me well for an industry project like AgriGuide.

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

I joined at an early stage as part of the Technology team, covering work packages 1.0 and 1.5. Since then, I have been involved in many areas of the project, from the first version of the application mock-up and its capabilities through to coordinating User Acceptance Testing. I am currently product owner for the farmer record-keeping application, SAppR, and I also work on the label application side as the Corteva representative. Day-to-day, I split my time between the AgriGuide team and our internal digitisation team. What I really appreciate is the chance to help build the digital transformation our industry needs.

What would you highlight as a part of your role that most people might find surprising?

As my background suggests, I am not an IT professional. I have had the chance to learn from the people around me and to apply my experience in complex project management to help the team and the purpose of the project. Taking on new challenges, learning continuously and putting that learning to use is simply part of how I work.

If you could instantly automate one task in either your work or daily life, what would it be and why?

Without hesitation, going through complex documentation more quickly and more accurately, given how far AI has come.

What is something people might be surprised to learn about you outside of work?

Listening to music while I work on documents helps me focus and hold my concentration. According to my streaming service, I listened to more than 100 new artists last year. I also enjoy podcasts on history and anything that helps you question the news and develop a critical mind.

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

Outside work, it is history, mainly the Middle Ages and the Second World War. I am genuinely passionate about both. At work, it is anything that stretches what I know about our products and about IT transformation, which sits well with what we are doing at the moment. I follow rugby closely too, and watching the Crunch is always a pleasure, especially with friends from England.

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

Onboarding, without question. The thing I would most like to improve is the way we bring new companies into the project, and making sure we are patient enough to pass on what we know properly. It is genuinely hard for people who are early in their journey with AgriGuide. We need to be precise and clear, and we need to give them time to learn at their own pace as well.
 

What’s Next​

The AgriGuide calendar picks up again once the summer break is over. These are the events coming up in September and October.

Date	Event
22 to 23 Sept	World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, London
22 Sept	National Corn Summer Event (FAPPR), Romania
13 Oct	Agri-Food Chain Round Table, Brussels (provisional)
14-16 Oct	COPA-COGECA Congress, Sweden
20 to 21 Oct	XI Slovak Plant Health Days, Nitra, Slovakia

If you are planning to attend any of these and would like to meet the AgriGuide team while you are there, do get in touch.

From all of us in the AgriGuide team, 

We wish you a bright, relaxing, and sunny summer!