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3. ISO/PWI 34705-7

ISO/AWI 34705-7

Reference data in agrifood systems
Part 7: Machine-actionable mode of action codes

Status

16/06/2026 - New project approved [10.99]

Background and Rationale

Plant protection products play a critical role in global agrifood systems by protecting crops from pests, weeds, fungi, and other threats that reduce productivity and threaten food security. The development of resistance in fungal diseases, insects, and weeds is a major challenge for plant protection in agrifood systems. Resistance management programs rely heavily on rotating products with different modes of action (MoAs). However, MoA information is not always represented consistently (and importantly not in machine-actionable form) across systems, labels, jurisdictions, and software platforms. This limits interoperability, automation, machine readability, and integration into digital agrifood workflows.

ISO/TC 347/WG 1 ‘Agrisemantics’ has already identified the need for machine-readable reference data and semantic interoperability as foundational enablers of data-driven agrifood systems. Controlled vocabularies for MoAs represent a practical and high-value opportunity to advance this work while supporting AI readiness, interoperability, and improved agronomic decision support. Mode of action data also stands out because it is relatively simple and is freely available (albeit not in machine-actionable form) from known sources.

Purpose and justification

The purpose of this Preliminary Work Item (PWI) is to explore and develop a draft standard within the
ISO 34705 series that defines a controlled vocabulary and associated information model for
representing plant protection product modes of action (MoAs) in a machine-readable and
interoperable manner.
The work is intended to:

• Enable consistent and machine-actionable representation of MoA data across agrifood systems.
• Support resistance management and stewardship workflows.
• Improve interoperability among farm management systems, product databases, digital labels, and decision-support tools.
• Enable AI-ready and semantically interoperable agrifood data structures.
• Support future work on digital crop protection product labels and related agrifood reference

data.

Scope

The scope of this work includes:

• Identification and analysis of existing MoA classification systems used internationally.
• Development of a harmonized controlled vocabulary for MoA representation.
• Definition of machine-readable structures suitable for implementation in software systems and interoperable agrifood data exchanges.
• Collaboration with relevant resistance action committees, including:
  • FRAC (Fungicide Resistance Action Committee)
  • HRAC (Herbicide Resistance Action Committee)
  • IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee)
• Consideration of workflows and governance approaches for maintaining MoA reference data, including a maintenance agency.
• Alignment with existing agrifood semantic and interoperability standards.
• Identification of relationships to related standards and frameworks, including ISO 1750, AgGateway ADAPT, CropLife Europe AgriGuide data models, and related ISO/TC 347 semantic initiatives.

The following topics are outside the scope of the proposed PWI:

• Regulatory approval or authorization processes for plant protection products.
• Safety classification systems such as GHS/CLP.
• Development of complete digital label standards.
• Replacement of existing resistance action committee governance processes.
• Creation of new pesticide efficacy or toxicology classifications.

Justification

ISO/TC 347/WG 1 is an appropriate home for this work because the project centers on semantic
interoperability, controlled vocabularies, machine-readable reference data, and interoperability across
agrifood information systems. The work directly supports ISO/TC 347 strategic objectives related to:

• Semantic interoperability
• AI readiness
• Machine-actionable agrifood data
• Interoperable workflows
• FAIR and reusable agrifood information

The project also provides a concrete and high-value example of how domain-specific agrifood knowledge can be represented in interoperable semantic structures.

Outcomes and benefits

Expected benefits include:

• Improved stewardship and resistance-management support.
• Better interoperability between agrifood software systems.
• Reduced ambiguity in digital representation of MoAs.
• Enhanced automation and machine reasoning capabilities.
• Improved support for AI-driven agronomic workflows.
• Foundational building blocks for future digital crop protection label standards.
• Greater consistency in representing crop protection information internationally.

Workplan

1. Establish the PWI within ISO/TC 347/WG 1.
2. Confirm participation from interested experts and liaison organizations.
3. Engage with FRAC, HRAC, IRAC, and related organizations.
4. Identify candidate information models (e.g., 34705 series componentized model) and vocabulary structures.
5. Develop a governance and maintenance approach for the controlled vocabulary (e.g., planned 34705-1 approach).
6. Draft the ISO Form 4 and initial working draft.
7. Prepare recommendations for progression to NWIP status.
8. Engage with AHG 3 (Responsible innovation) in evaluating this work using ISO/TC 347’s responsible innovation framework.

Deliverables

1. A completed ISO Form 4 proposal for progression to a New Work Item Proposal (NWIP).
2. A draft standard within the ISO 34705 series to submit with the Form 4, addressing:
   1. Controlled vocabularies for plant protection product modes of action.
   2. Identifier structures and code representation.
   3. Metadata and semantic relationships.
   4. Alignment with existing resistance action committee structures.
   5. Guidance for interoperability and machine-readable implementations.
3. Recommendations for WG 1 regarding relationships between MoA vocabularies, formulation codes, active ingredient identifiers, and future digital label standards.