FAO Glossary of Biotechnology for Food and Agriculture

"The 'Glossary of Biotechnology for Food and Agriculture' is a revised, augmented version of the 'Glossary of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering' published by FAO in 1999. The idea for such a collection of terminology associated with the rapidly expanding fields related to or deriving from biotechnology and genetic engineering, was stimulated by the difficulty of communicating effectively in discussions at intergovernmental level. On various occasions, simple differences of interpretation of terminology have threatened to de-rail negotiations of international importance. This Glossary tries to provide a consolidated, comprehensive and yet accessible list of terms and acronyms that are used regularly in biotechnology for food and agriculture and that represent a convenient reference source for researchers, students and technicians. (...) The second edition contained 3,196 terms and related definitions (about 450 new terms, about 100 terms were deleted). A number of definitions were improved to enhance the coherence of the Glossary. The second edition also has a slightly modified title, that reflects more precisely the scope of the Glossary, limited to terms involving biotechnology for food and agriculture. (...) However, FAO does not consider that the process is completed, and inputs from users (suggestions of new terms, comments on current terms, etc.) are encouraged. The new glossary management system introduced in 2012 allows the addition of new terms and definitions as well as their simultaneous translation into Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish, enabling us to keep pace with new developments in the fast progressing field of agricultural biotechnologies."