Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

AgroterrorismPresented by:

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

What is it? Agroterrorism involves the act

of any person knowingly or maliciously using biological agents as weapons against the agricultural industry and the food supply.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

People and Animal ProblemsAnthraxBrucellosisGlanders

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Animal ProblemsRinderpestNewcastle diseaseFowl plague

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Crop ProblemsLate blight of potatoRice blastBrown spot of riceRubber leaf blightSouthern blightWheat rusts.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Agroterrorism Possibility? Probability?

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Possibility or Probability:

The critical issue with agroterrorism is the low level of technical knowledge required to use it.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Possibility or Probability: Before Sept. 11 -- the

federal government allocated almost $40 million to the USDA for agroterrorism.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Motives include ProfitAnti-GMOForeign terrorists

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Concerns before Sept. 11Indiana – PL156Pennsylvania – SB816

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Indiana Law recognizes agroterrorism as

A crime – Class C Felony A weapon of mass destruction

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Pennsylvania LawMandates payment to the owner of the afflicted animal for:– Value of the animal– Disposal– Testing of the diseased animals– Cost of clean up, including soil testing– Lost value of production

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Costs?

Foot and Mouth -- $2 billion to $24 billion. The problem is that this is based on a natural outbreak. A terrorist would aim for maximum damage.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Costs? Dioxin contaminated animal

feed in Belgium -- $ 1 billion in damages and trade sanctions. If it had been in the US, $140 billion.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Costs? Leaf blight caused $1 billion

in crop damages. But if something like it had halted US crop exports, it could cost $100 billion.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Experts agree The cost in terms of

damages is directly proportional to the time it takes to diagnose the problem.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Proof?

It has rarely been proven that terrorism has been used against agricultural targets.

But let’s look at history…

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorism

WWI – Germany spread glanders disease on mules and horses destined for Europe.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorismWWII

– Canada, Great Britain, Japan, the United States, and the USSR had offensive programs.

– Germany had no offensive program.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorism

Japan is alleged to have used animal and plant pathogens, including rinderpest and anthrax, against Russia and Mongolia in 1940s.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorism

The U.S. scrubbed its biological weapons program in 1969. But, it continued defensive research.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorism In 1972, the US, Soviet

Union, Great Britain, and Canada agreed to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorism Soviet BW program grew

during the 1970s and 1980s to include more than 30,000 scientists and workers, as well as seven production and two storage facilities.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorism Iraq is also known to have

developed a BW potential recently, including anti-personnel, animal and crop agents.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

History of agroterrorism Since 1915, there have been

19 acts of agroterrorism around the world, five of which have taken place in the U.S. Source:http://cns.miis.edu/ Center for Nonproliferation Studies

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Five cases in the US:1915-1917 Military animals1970 Ashville, Alabama1989 Southern California1996 Florida1996 Berlin, Wisconsin

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Conducted by the US:1950 East Germany1952 Korea1962-1970 Vietnam1962-1997 Cuba

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

CounterattackGeographyTimingStrategy

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

USDA CounterattackOrganism LevelFarm LevelNational Level

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Organism level

Continue defensive research on agroterrorism.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Farm Level Biosecurity education

- farmers - crop and livestock

diagnosticians.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

National LevelDisease eradicationCompensation costsRestore public confidence

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Counterattack: Cooperation and

consolidation of efforts between all agencies and organizations involved.

Purdue Extension

Knowledge to Go

Sources: Anne Kohnen “Responding to the Threat of

Agroterrorism: Specific recommendations for the United States Department of Agriculture.”

May 2001 issue of Purdue Agricultural Economics Report (PAER).

Center For Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies