{ "id": "RL32521", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL32521", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 348758, "date": "2007-03-12", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T18:18:24.401029", "title": "Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness", "summary": "The potential for terrorist attacks against agricultural targets (agroterrorism) is increasingly recognized as a national security threat, especially after the events of September 11, 2001. Agroterrorism is a subset of bioterrorism, and is defined as the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear, causing economic losses, and/or undermining social stability.\nThe goal of agroterrorism is not to kill cows or plants. These are the means to the end of causing economic damage, social unrest, and loss of confidence in government. Human health could be at risk if contaminated food reaches the table or if an animal pathogen is transmissible to humans (zoonotic). While agriculture may not be a terrorist\u2019s first choice because it lacks the \u201cshock factor\u201d of more traditional terrorist targets, many analysts consider it a viable secondary target.\nAgriculture has several characteristics that pose unique vulnerabilities. Farms are geographically disbursed in unsecured environments. Livestock are frequently concentrated in confined locations, and transported or commingled with other herds. Many agricultural diseases can be\u00a0obtained, handled, and distributed easily. International trade in food products often is tied to\u00a0disease-free status, which could be jeopardized by an attack. Many veterinarians lack experience\u00a0with foreign animal diseases that are eradicated domestically but remain endemic in\u00a0foreign countries.\nIn the past five years, \u201cfood defense\u201d has received increasing attention in the counterterrorism and bioterrorism communities. Laboratory and response capacity are being upgraded to address the reality of agroterrorism, and national response plans now incorporate agroterrorism.\nCongress has held hearings on agroterrorism and enacted laws and appropriations with agroterrorism-related provisions. The executive branch has responded by implementing the new laws, issuing several presidential directives, and creating liaison and coordination offices. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has studied several issues related to agroterrorism.\nAppropriations and user fees for agriculture-related homeland security activities in USDA and DHS have more than tripled from a $225 million \u201cpre-September 11\u201d baseline in FY2002 to $818 million in FY2007. Agriculture now receives about 2.1% of the total non-defense budget authority for homeland security.\nIncreasing the level of agroterrorism preparedness remains a concern, as do interagency coordination and adequate border inspections. The 110th Congress may consider bills or oversight hearings to address funding and the level of preparedness or coordination to respond to an agroterrorist attack.\nThis report will be updated as events warrant.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32521", "sha1": "364767842caa46dda102e66d5d6a006958173cee", "filename": "files/20070312_RL32521_364767842caa46dda102e66d5d6a006958173cee.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32521", "sha1": "8750374d85a0673e70b7f56db9a375ba2719af6a", "filename": "files/20070312_RL32521_8750374d85a0673e70b7f56db9a375ba2719af6a.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc813097/", "id": "RL32521_2007Jan22", "date": "2007-01-22", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20070122_RL32521_8977a99d43991018f4df525da55c4dfeba87a470.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20070122_RL32521_8977a99d43991018f4df525da55c4dfeba87a470.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9882/", "id": "RL32521 2006-08-25", "date": "2006-08-25", "retrieved": "2007-06-12T15:41:54", "title": "Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060825_RL32521_b5d892ee29e42b98e02c97b7ac9236c899a1b4eb.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060825_RL32521_b5d892ee29e42b98e02c97b7ac9236c899a1b4eb.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Terrorism", "name": "Terrorism" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture - Security measures", "name": "Agriculture - Security measures" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6486/", "id": "RL32521 2005-02-04", "date": "2005-02-04", "retrieved": "2005-07-26T08:28:57", "title": "Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness", "summary": "The potential of terrorist attacks against agricultural targets (agroterrorism) is increasingly recognized as a national security threat, especially after the events of September 11, 2001. In this context, agroterrorism is defined as the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear, causing\r\neconomic losses, and/or undermining stability. This report addresses the use of biological weapons against agriculture, rather than the threat of terrorists using agricultural inputs for other purposes. It also focuses more on agricultural production than food processing and distribution.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050204_RL32521_e9c0d30b20040eac893c2d83754470c6af0a6013.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050204_RL32521_e9c0d30b20040eac893c2d83754470c6af0a6013.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Terrorism", "name": "Terrorism" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture - Security measures", "name": "Agriculture - Security measures" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5731/", "id": "RL32521 2004-08-13", "date": "2004-08-13", "retrieved": "2005-06-10T18:23:46", "title": "Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness", "summary": "Although U.S. intelligence agencies have not identified any terrorist acts targeting agricultural production (i.e., agroterrorism) in the United States to date, the events of September 11, 2001 have awakened the nation to their possibility. Some experts estimate that a single agroterrorist attack using a highly contagious livestock disease could cost between $10 billion and $30 billion to the U.S. economy. This report addresses the use of biological weapons against agriculture, rather than the threat of terrorists using agricultural inputs for other purposes. It also focuses more on agricultural production than food processing and distribution.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20040813_RL32521_181783199e6e4df32df0aafa39f4e8a8b5611498.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20040813_RL32521_181783199e6e4df32df0aafa39f4e8a8b5611498.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Terrorism", "name": "Terrorism" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture - Security measures", "name": "Agriculture - Security measures" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Appropriations", "Intelligence and National Security", "National Defense", "Science and Technology Policy" ] }