Panchayats are local self-government institutions in rural areas. The panchayat raj in India are a well-known example of decentralized governance through village, block and district assemblies, where participation by the poor and women have been mandated by law, and management committees are elected rather than nominated. (Adapted from FAO, 2023 Working with local institutions to support sustainable livelihoods https://www.fao.org/3/y5083e/y5083e.pdf)
Vitamin E is the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in the cell antioxidant defence system and is exclusively obtained from the diet. The term “vitamin E” refers to a family of eight naturally occurring homologues that are synthesised by plants from homogentisic acid. (FAO/WHO expert consultation on human vitamin and mineral requirements, 2001)
A political party brings together people with the same political ideas. By taking part in an election, parties hope to get as many of their members as possible into a representative body, like parliament or a municipal council. At the same time they try to hold as many posts as possible in the government, or in the municipal or provincial executive. (https://www.government.nl/topics/democracy/the-purpose-of-political-parties)
In the context of agriculture, produce groups are groups or associations of farmers or agricultural businesses that work together to market and sell their products. Produce groups can be formal or informal, and they can vary in size from a few members to hundreds of members. (AGROVOC Team)
Producer organizations are groups of producers, such as farmers, artisans, or manufacturers, who come together to collectively manage and improve their production, marketing, and supply chain processes. They can take various forms, including cooperatives, associations, and unions, and focus on strengthening the bargaining power and market presence of their members. (FAOLEX. 2025. Glossary https://www.fao.org/faolex/)
A parasitic invasion of a wound by maggots. All mammals, including humans, can fall victim to them. (FAO, 2024. The Screwworm menace affecting animals and threatening humans in Senegal https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/the-screwworm-menace-affecting-animals-and-threatening-humans-in-senegal/en)
A programme is a coordinated group of related projects managed in a structured way to obtain benefits and control that cannot be achieved by managing the projects individually. (Adapted from Project Management Institute. 2008. PMBOK: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (fourth ed.))
A public body is a formally established organization that is publicly funded to deliver a public or government service, though not as a ministerial department. The term refers to a wide range of public sector entities and may be considered as a general term, having different definitions that depend on the scope of the sectoral legislation. (Gov.uk. 2025. Public bodies. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/public-bodies-reform and https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00554-2_57)
Regional organizations are a subcategory of international organization; they can be financial and nonfinancial institutions. (IMF. 2004. CURRENCY UNION TECHNICAL EXPERT GROUP. DRAFT FOLLOW-UP PAPER (CUTEG) # 6)
