Farmers are first line of defense against agroterror
A rogue crop duster, someone tossing an infected rag over the loafing lot fence, or an upset employee with access to a food processing facility could conceivably commit an act of agroterror with widespread and dramatic consequences
Michael Morehart, special agent in charge at the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, office, did not mince words. “Our adversaries — no, our enemies — have but one goal: to kill us,” he said, in his opening remarks at the second annual Virginia Agroterrorism Conference held 23 March.
Bombings and hijackings are the events most commonly associated with terrorism, Morehart continued, Virginia’s farmers should not consider themselves immune. A rogue crop duster, someone tossing an infected rag over the loafing lot fence, or an upset employee with access to a food processing facility could conceivably commit an act of agroterror with widespread and dramatic consequences for anybody who produces — or, much more broadly, consumes — food.
Lancaster Farming reports that Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore followed Morehart with some quick facts. Agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry. It generates $55 billion in revenue each year. It provides more than 350,000 jobs and would be a catastrophic loss for the state if compromised by a terrorist act. “Please take this very seriously today,” Haymore said.
The rest of the conference was filled with presentations by about a dozen speakers from several state and federal agencies with enforcement or regulatory power over agriculture and food processing.
Karen Gruszynski, a veterinary epidemiologist with the Virginia Department of Health, gave several examples of agroterrorism, including German plots to infect American horses with anthrax and glanders during the First World War and the Rajneeshee cult in Oregon, which poisoned 750 people in 1984 by infecting salad bars with salmonella.
After the conference, Don Butts, emergency services manager for VDACS, told Lancaster Farming that he is unaware of any act of agroterrorism within Virginia. He continued by saying that that does not mean it is not an important issue for farmers to consider. “We want them to know that this is a possibility … and not lose sight of the fact that this is something that could occur,” Butts said.
Tony Banks, assistant director of the VFBF’s Commodity Marketing Department, agreed, saying that it is important for farmers to be aware of the potential devastation an agroterrorist act could have. Citing the far-reaching economic harm caused by recent food safety scares involving peanuts, spinach, and tomatoes, Banks cautioned that agroterrorism anywhere could affect all farmers associated with the targeted product — particularly given the speed at which information, true or false, travels now. “In today’s culture of instant information, (that) can have serious economic consequences,” Banks said.
Though few farmers were in attendance at the conference, their role as the first line of defense against agroterror was emphasized at the conference. By being alert for suspicious situations, knowing whom to contact, and picking up the phone to report anything amiss, producers can play key roles in preventing and containing terrorist acts. Gruszynski specifically asked farmers not to “shoot, shovel and shut up” when something strange happens to their livestock.
Rockingham County, Virginia., Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Threewitts said the issue is also on local farmers’ radars. “(At our meetings), we continually try to warn folks to be vigilant and attentive,” he said.
Though ultimate responsibility for a given farm lies with its owner, Threewitts continued, good relationships with neighbors are an important part of farm security. Since farmers frequently have fields at a distance from the rest of their operations, communication with neighbors about who should and shouldn’t be in that field allows the community to look out for one another and be alert for unwelcome activity, he added.
