(67) A legitimate threat to domestic food security is embodied by an al Qaeda training manual that is devoted to
agroterrorism --that is, the destruction of crops, livestock, and food processing operations.
Agroterrorism is a subset of the more general issues of terrorism and bioterrorism.
In order to remain one of the safest food supply systems in the world today, we must employ at the local, state, and federal levels skilled professionals who are equipped to respond to and recover from the crisis of an
agroterrorism event.
"Conventional discourse on the issue of
agroterrorism typically focuses on the potential for human fatalities, but the consequential economic impact to the agricultural industry would also be quite significant," said Matthew Power, executive vice president of Lexington Insurance Co.
Rogers (2006), "The Threat of
Agroterrorism to Australia: Preliminary Assessment," Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 29(2): 147-163.
against agriculture and food, see CRS Report RL32521,
Agroterrorism:
In Chapter 5, Kimball shifts, somewhat unexpectedly, to the issue of intentional harm, and discusses bioterrorism (the use of infectious microorganisms to attack humans) and
agroterrorism (spoiling crops or livestock, or contaminating food products).
(18.) See JIM MONKE, CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERV.,
AGROTERRORISM: THREATS AND PREPAREDNESS 8 (2004), available at http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/ RL32521.pdf (stating that "agriculture and food production generally have received relatively less attention, or sometimes were overlooked, in counter-terrorism and homeland security" but also noting that "agriculture now is garnering more attention in the expanding field of terrorism studies and policies").
THE SOURCE: "Responding to Systemic Crisis: The Case of
Agroterrorism" by Lesley Seebeck, in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Sept.
The facility established under the proposed bill would research, test, and evaluate human and zoonotic diseases to protect against the threat of
agroterrorism and naturally occurring incidents.
Featured session topics include: Importance of Networking Interpreting Research Maximizing Your Trade Show ROI Successful AgriTourism
Agroterrorism Shifting Demographics in Agriculture New Media Ethanol Farm Bill Update
Other FDA efforts include the Strategic Partnership Program
Agroterrorism Initiative, which helps identify sector-specific vulnerabilities, determine research gaps and needs, and increase coordination between the federal government and industry stakeholders, and the ALERT Initiative, launched last year and created to raise industry awareness of food defense and preparedness issues.