Agroterrorism and Food Systems Defense key issues and research needs

1
Agroterrorism and Food Systems Defensekey
issues and research needs
2

• John Shutske, Professor
• University of Minnesota
• Center for Public Health Preparedness
• College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental
  Sciences

3
Why Should We be Concerned About Agriculture and
Food as a Vulnerable Infrastructure?
(in need of rural P.H. preparedness expertise)
4
Five Reasons
5
Five Reasons

• 1. Size, economic impact of agricultural and
  food industries

6
Why Be Concerned About the Food System?

• In 2001, food and fiber industry
• employed nearly 24 million people
• had output gt 2 trillion
• generated gt 1.24 trillion worth in value added
• 12.3 of total gross domestic product.
• 17 percent of American workers in the food and
  fiber system

From USDA Economic Research Service (ERS)
7
Were Talking About Much More than Just The
FarmFood Process Distribution Chain
Farm and Input supplier
Transport
Distribution Center
Processor
D/C - Warehouse
Retail grocer or restaurant
Adapted from materials by Dr. Ted Labuza,
University of Minnesota
8
Five Reasons

• 2. Global nature of our food supply

9
Worldwide, MANY People Producing Food (number is
in millions)
2.7 billion total
10
Globalization
Grains
Oils
Cheese
Juices
Vegetables
Bananas
Cocoa
Seafood
Processed Meat
Spices
Fresh Meat
Graphic from National Ctr. For Food Protection
and Defense
11
Five Reasons

• 3. 2,000,000 vulnerable nodes in this country
  alone

12
Prevention vs. Preparedness
13
Which is Easier to Fully Protect?
14
Five Reasons

• 4. Overlap of CDC Category A,B,and C Agents with
  Agricultural, Food, and Animals

15
CDC Biological agents The Category A List

• Agents of high risk to national security
• easily disseminated or transmitted
  person-to-person.
• high mortality with potential for major public
  health impact.
• may cause panic and social disruption.
• require special action for public health
  preparedness.

16
The A List

• Anthrax
• Smallpox
• Plague
• Tularemia
• Botulism
• Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

Which are zoonotic?
17
(No Transcript)
18
Five Reasons

• 5. We all eat!

19
Symbolically..

• The relationship between people and our food
  supply is an intimate one.

20
Imagine Waking Up to the News..

• Dairy herds found simultaneously infected in CA,
  FL, Maine, and WA
• Biological/chemical toxins discovered in school
  lunches in Lebanon, Kansas

Why Lebanon Kansas?
21
Two Tabletop Exercisesto help people think about
preparedness issues and the need to work together

• H5N1 Avian Influenza The potential public
  health perfect storm (biggest risk factor in
  Asia is co-mingling of chickens, pigs, ducks, and
  people!)
• Intentional contamination of an agricultural
  product with Clostridium botulinum toxin.

22
Challenges

• Critical mass of support.
• For research, education, and community outreach
  from our federal and state funding partners
• Locally for qualified staff and recognition that
  public health is mission critical in rural U.S.
• Appreciation that agriculture and food is
  integral to our national security.
• An understanding that agriculture and food is not
  simply cute cows and amber waves of grain.
• Balancing terrorism issue with other concerns
  (natural disasters, etc.)

23
Research Questions

• How do we garner support and buy-in from the
  private sector What protective practices have
  the highest returns on investment?
• How do we help communities and businesses deal
  with the changing demographics of those working
  in our agricultural and food industries?
• What are the proven ways to increase the
  recognition and perceived value of public health
  (people and the work that they do) in rural
  communities?
• How do we best work together public health,
  medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture,
  policy?
• How can we engage urban citizens in issues of
  rural preparedness (politically and otherwise)?
• What is the optimal balance of basic awareness
  building education versus in-depth technical
  skill building (decontamination, recovery,
  disposal, investigation, etc.)