Legislation led by U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and U.S. Reps. David Young (R-IA) and Dan Donovan (R-NY) to protect the nation’s food, agriculture and veterinary systems against agro-terrorism threats was recently signed into law.
The Securing Our Agriculture and Food Act would take steps to secure the nation’s food supply against agro-terrorism and other high-risk events through increased collaboration between various federal agencies and strengthened preparedness efforts.
Young and Donovan introduced the House bill in response to a 2015 avian flu outbreak that killed millions of hens, turkeys and backyard poultry flocks. The situation called into question the government’s ability to respond to large-scale agro-terrorism threats and the spread of diseases like the avian flu.
Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the spread of a deadly pathogen across livestock and plant populations could cause irreparable damage to two pillars of the U.S. economy.
“As former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I understand the unique threat our farmers and ranchers face,” Roberts said. “I am pleased we have taken this important step to better ensure the safety and security of our nation’s food supply.”
Under the bill, the assistant secretary for health affairs would be authorized to coordinate efforts across federal agencies to ensure that initiatives to secure food, agriculture and animal health are incorporated into larger Department of Homeland Security preparedness planning.
“As DHS continues to build the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, now is the exact time to shore up authorities regarding coordination and mitigation should the worst occur and the nation is hit by a biological attack on our food and agriculture,” Roberts said.
“I look forward to continuing to work with DHS and USDA, which play equally important roles, in protecting our food supply,” Roberts added.
A biological attack on agricultural plants and animals would cause economic damage, negatively impact the food supply, and potentially cause serious illness or loss of life. Certain biological agents such as anthrax or bot¬ulinum toxin cause harm to exposed humans, while agents that spread from animal to animal such as foot-and-mouth disease are a threat to the nation’s livestock.
“I want to thank the president and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for seeing the seriousness of this issue to make sure we have a safe and abundant food supply for our families,” Young said. “Agro-terrorism is a real threat and this legislation takes the necessary and critical steps to protect America from high-risk events which pose serious threats to our food, across Iowa and United States.”
Donovan, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications, said the “heightened global terror environment” serves as a reminder of the risks facing the United States.
“The legislation President Trump signed into law today will better protect us from those who wish to attack our resources, including our food supply,” Donovan said. “Threats to U.S. agriculture and livestock industries could devastate our food system, impacting millions of Americans, as well as our economy.”