AgGateway Releases Helpful API for Managing Online eCommerce Product Catalogs

Product Catalog

AgGateway Releases Helpful API for Managing Online eCommerce Product Catalogs

By AgGateway Marketing Communications Director Susan Ruland

AgGateway has completed version one of an API (Application Programming Interface) definition for the management of product catalog data, which assists cooperatives and companies in creating catalogs to offer branded online store services to their retail members and customers. AgGateway contributors – which include cooperatives, crop protection companies, seed manufacturers, and others – wanted to ensure that online eCommerce platforms have complete and accurate information in their product catalogs.

“This digital resource will ensure distributor and retailer online stores have complete, accurate and up-to-date manufacturer product information,” said AgGateway Executive Vice President and COO Brent Kemp.

Several businesses are currently implementing catalogs using the API, which focuses on data for crop protection products. These businesses include WinField United and Syngenta, two companies that helped lead the collaboration with industry partners within AgGateway, and who went live last month using the catalog as a RESTful Web API to retrieve daily updates for the catalog.

“The ability to quickly develop a new industry data standard and implement it for use by others demonstrates the value of AgGateway and its mission to drive digital connectivity,” said participant Mike Altman of Syngenta Crop Protection.

As a next step, AgGateway team participants plan to onboard additional crop protection members and expand the API to include seed and nutrition products. [Note that this resource is not a centralized repository of product data; it is comprised of a message format, standard API, and testing tools that enable a business to serve product information in a consistent way.]

The new API is free and available for industry use. AgGateway member companies can access it on the AgGateway wiki. Others interested can contact AgGateway Member Services at Member.Services@AgGateway.org for more information.

Additional Detail

The API is an implementation of the Open Applications Group’s (OAGi) OAGIS standard, which allows product marketing and regulatory information (e.g., crops, pests, restricted use, etc.) to be sent to a distributor, retailer or an eCommerce platform. The API also provides the farmer with information needed to help select the right product specific to their fields and equipment.

“This is the first implementation guideline that AgGateway has created using the OAGIS standard,” said participant Scott Nieman of Land O’ Lakes. “The OAGIS JSON Schema and companion OpenAPI Specification definition was created and managed by Score, a tool designed by OAGi and developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), both AgGateway members.”

Score 2.0 (oagiscore.org) is a software application that enables the creation and management of implementation guidelines and is fully conformant to ISO 15000-5.

For more information, see the Portfolio Management Center page of the wiki, or contact Member Services at Member.Services@AgGateway.org.