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During World War I, the Germans abandoned plans for attacking the Allied nations’ wheat supplies in favor of focusing on their livestock. Today, the possibility that cattle, swine, or poultry will be the target of an agroterrorist attack still poses the greatest danger for socioeconomic and political disruption. And when it comes to agents that can harm the nation’s livestock, experts agree that the most ominous possibility is foot and mouth disease.

Foot and mouth disease was eradicated in the United States in 1929. However, it has endured in South America, Africa, and Asia. This contagious virus is twenty times more infectious than smallpox and causes painful blisters on the tongues, hooves, and other body parts of cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, and deer. These blisters make them them unable to walk, eat, drink, or give milk. People cannot contract foot and mouth disease, but they can carry the virus in their lungs and transmit it to animals.

Extremely stable, foot and mouth disease can survive in straw or clothing for one month and can be spread by the wind for over sixty miles. This may allow it to spread for a considerable distance and affect thousands of animals before a problem is even realized. It has been estimated that the movement of animals from the farm to the market could cause an outbreak to spread to as many as twenty-five states in as little as five days.

THE DISEASE APPEAL TO TERRORISTS

Foot and Mouth Disease

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NUCLEAR ATTACK

If farmland is contaminated with radiation, either from the use of a nuclear weapon or from radiological fallout that occurs in other ways, it will be a long time before the food that is grown on that land will be safe. Since most of those who attack the nation’s agricultural infrastructure are likely to be attracted to the ease and cost-effectiveness of agroterrorism, it is not likely that an agroterrorist will employ a nuclear weapon; the chance that they will use an explosive of any kind for this purpose is also very slim, given that explosives can be used more effectively in other environments by terrorists. Nonetheless, these are not impossibilities and should not be dismissed altogether.

 

High levels of radiation can cause visually observable changes in chromosome structure in plants and damage to the plants’ genetic material. A reduction in the rate of growth is likely. Effects on reproduction that may include sterility, lower reproduction rates, and developmental abnormalities in offspring may be evident, and seed germination is typically reduced. Like any organism, the extent to which a plant is affected by radiation is determined by how much radiation the plant is exposed to and for how long. But direct contact with radiation or radioactive materials is not even required to affect plant life, as the mere presence of a reactor is often enough.

 

Non-biological Agroterrorism Continued…

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CHEMICAL ATTACK

Of somewhat greater concern is the threat of chemical weapons in agroterrorism. However, chemical weapons designed for use against humans will have similar effects on animals, such as irritating and blistering skin, difficulty breathing, and organ failure if used in the same manner. The chief difference is that when the victim of a chemical attack is a large animal, such as a bull, the amount of agent needed to debilitate the animal would be far greater than what would affect a human.

The method of dispersal would be problematic for a terrorist. V-agents and complex poisons such as Sarin are not likely to be employed in such an attack, as their efficacy is greatly reduced when they are dispersed in wide, open spaces such as farms. Most livestock are kept outdoors or in open indoor areas where air is allowed to circulate freely.

 

Chemical agents such as nerve gas and vesicants would be virtually useless in crop-based agroterrorism. However, chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia are extremely toxic to plants and can cause devastation when applied directly and in large amounts to crops. However, an attack such as this would do little more than kill the living plants, and would not affect the soil or the prospects for future agricultural growth. As is the case with explosives and radiological weapons, chemical weapons have more effective uses in other terrorist applications.

 

Non-biological Agroterrorism Continued…

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Food contamination, regardless of the cause, is a concern in itself, and even with the extensive safeguards employed by the agriculture industry it remains a concern. By examining the many steps in the food production chain, one can see how easy it is for food to become contaminated. Each step includes the potential for food contamination.

If human deaths are the terrorist’s desired result, the food production chain offers many effective opportunities for disseminating botulism, salmonella, and many other potential agents. Many food processing and packing plants hire seasonal workers who are not skilled in preventing such an event. Furthermore, security measures in such facilities are far more lax than one would find in a nuclear or chemical facility, making a food-borne attack an even more cost-effective and attractive target for terrorists.

Finally, the food is prepared so that it is ready to eat, a step that usually occurs in a home or restaurant kitchen. During this step, a food worker may not wash their hands sufficiently after using the restroom, a cook may cut food on an unclean cutting board, or meat juices may touch raw produce in a refrigerator.

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Food Production and Distribution

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Food contamination, regardless of the cause, is a concern in itself, and even with the extensive safeguards employed by the agriculture industry it remains a concern. By examining the many steps in the food production chain, one can see how easy it is for food to become contaminated. Each step includes the potential for food contamination.

If human deaths are the terrorist’s desired result, the food production chain offers many effective opportunities for disseminating botulism, salmonella, and many other potential agents. Many food processing and packing plants hire seasonal workers who are not skilled in preventing such an event. Furthermore, security measures in such facilities are far more lax than one would find in a nuclear or chemical facility, making a food-borne attack an even more cost-effective and attractive target for terrorists.

After food is processed, it is distributed. In this step, food is transported from the farm or processing plant directly to the consumer or to a food service facility. The food products may be driven from a farm to the local farmers’ market, or they be taken from a processing plant to a large supplier, stored for a few days in a warehouse, transported to a restaurant chain’s local distribution facility, and finally delivered to a restaurant. Refrigerated food may be left outside long enough to cause it to reach unsafe temperatures, produce might be transported onto an unclean truck, or a glass jar may break in transport and contaminate other foods nearby.

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Food Production and Distribution

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The average American spends about 11 percent of their income on food, compared to the worldwide average of 20 to 30 percent; this statistic demonstrates what a safe, plentiful, and inexpensive food supply the United States is fortunate to have. In fact, the prosperous economy of the United States is directly linked to this abundance, with nearly one out of six U.S. jobs being linked to its trillion-dollar agricultural industry.

These facts combined with the vulnerability and lack of protection surrounding the U.S. food supply makes this industry is also a very tempting target for terrorists. It is no surprise that when the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2002, U.S. agricultural documents and al-Qaeda training manuals targeting the nation’s agricultural industry were found.

While agroterrorism can cause great physical harm to a targeted population, attacking the economic stability of the United States is a greater goal. Economic crises in the agriculture and food industries can easily result if the health of the nation’s animals and plants is threatened. Social unrest and a loss of confidence in government are secondary goals, just as they are with any other form of terrorism.

The earliest incidents of agroterrorism in history date to the sixth century BCE, when the Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with ergots. In the fourth century BCE, Roman troops attacked crop fields in Carthage by covering them with salt during the First Punic war, a tactic that proved to be extremely successful after local citizens were forced to abandon the area.

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What Is Agroterrorism?

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EFFECT ON ECONOMY CHANGE IN ATTACKS NEW LAWS

But what must be understood is that since 9/11 and especially in very recent years, the threat environment has changed dramatically. The recent successes that the United States has had against al-Qaeda’s leadership, such as the assassination of Osama bin Laden, have forced this organization to reconsider its tactics. Al-Qaeda can now be expected to emphasize on smaller, independent attacks that together may form a “war of attrition” against U.S. homeland security forces.

Al-Qaeda is an organization that has been known to think outside the box when it comes to causing destruction, with bin Laden often arguing that the best way to damage the United States’ ability to assert its dominance on the international scale was through an attack on the economy. Economic harm remains a large part of the group’s strategy to inflict terror upon the United States. Bin Laden himself boasted about the cost efficiency of the 9/11 attacks, asserting that they had cost al-Qaeda a mere half-million dollars while inflicting a staggering $500 billion in U.S. economic losses.

An agroterrorism attack is a grave threat, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified four groups of potential perpetrators who should be suspected in such an attack. Transnational terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda are believed to present the most probable threat of attacking the U.S. agriculture industry to cause economic harm. While groups such as these pose the greatest threat to U.S. national security involving all forms of terrorism, when it comes to agroterrorism other groups may have different motivations.

 

The Threat of Agroterrorism Today

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EFFECT ON ECONOMY CHANGE IN ATTACKS NEW LAWS

One of these types of terrorist is an economic opportunist. People such as these understand the dramatic impact that such an attack may have on markets and may attempt to take this route in order to exploit them for personal economic gain. Domestic terrorists, an outlier of this category, may include unbalanced individuals or disgruntled employees who may perpetrate an attack for a variety of idiosyncratic or narcissistic motivations or to deal a blow to the federal government and the confidence its citizens have in it. A fourth group may include militant animal rights or environmental activists. Groups such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) or its sister organization the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) might view an attack on the animal food industry favorably. 

Why has agroterrorism remained such a secondary concern in homeland security, compared to other types of WMD use? It lacks the drama and spectacle that a bombing or murder might create, so many experts feel that it is not as likely to occur. In fact, no documented agroterrorist attacks have occurred in the United States since 9/11.

An agroterrorism attack is a grave threat, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified four groups of potential perpetrators who should be suspected in such an attack. Transnational terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda are believed to present the most probable threat of attacking the U.S. agriculture industry to cause economic harm. While groups such as these pose the greatest threat to U.S. national security involving all forms of terrorism, when it comes to agroterrorism other groups may have different motivations.

 

The Threat of Agroterrorism Today

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The average American spends about 11 percent of their income on food, compared to the worldwide average of 20 to 30 percent; this statistic demonstrates what a safe, plentiful, and inexpensive food supply the United States is fortunate to have. In fact, the prosperous economy of the United States is directly linked to this abundance, with nearly one out of six U.S. jobs being linked to its trillion-dollar agricultural industry.

These facts combined with the vulnerability and lack of protection surrounding the U.S. food supply makes this industry is also a very tempting target for terrorists. It is no surprise that when the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2002, U.S. agricultural documents and al-Qaeda training manuals targeting the nation’s agricultural industry were found.

While agroterrorism can cause great physical harm to a targeted population, attacking the economic stability of the United States is a greater goal. Economic crises in the agriculture and food industries can easily result if the health of the nation’s animals and plants is threatened. Social unrest and a loss of confidence in government are secondary goals, just as they are with any other form of terrorism.

In the twentieth century, German double agents working in the United States infected horses and cattle that were to be transported to France across the Atlantic Ocean during World War I. Germans also poisoned cavalry horses, cattle, and sheep in other European countries to debilitate the Allies and considered doing the same with grain (although this plan was abandoned as it was determined to be less efficacious than poisoning livestock).

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What Is Agroterrorism?

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LESSON FIVE: AGROTERRORISM

In Lesson 4, we discussed the ways in which biological agents might be dispersed in a terrorist attack. One method of dissemination would involve the nation’s food supply. Agroterrorism, defined as an intentional contamination of crops or livestock with the purpose of causing monetary losses, creating fear, or harming social stability, is often considered a subset of bioterrorism. However, it can incorporate chemical or nuclear agents as well. The food and agricultural industries are very vulnerable to bioterrorism; as former Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson once said, “I, for the life of me, cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do.” (Boyle, 2005 para. 3).

 

Topics to be covered include:

What is agroterrorism? The threat of agroterrorism today Food production and distribution Foot and mouth disease Other potential biological agents Non-biological agroterrorism Consequences of agroterrorism Preventing an agroterrorism attack

 

Introduction

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Food contamination, regardless of the cause, is a concern in itself, and even with the extensive safeguards employed by the agriculture industry it remains a concern. By examining the many steps in the food production chain, one can see how easy it is for food to become contaminated. Each step includes the potential for food contamination.

If human deaths are the terrorist’s desired result, the food production chain offers many effective opportunities for disseminating botulism, salmonella, and many other potential agents. Many food processing and packing plants hire seasonal workers who are not skilled in preventing such an event. Furthermore, security measures in such facilities are far more lax than one would find in a nuclear or chemical facility, making a food-borne attack an even more cost-effective and attractive target for terrorists.

The next step in the chain is processing, or converting these plants or animals into what is recognized and consumed as food. Processing might be as simple as cleaning and sorting, or it can involve other steps, such as trimming, slicing, shredding, or bagging. Milk is pasteurized in this step, and sometimes made into cheese or yogurt. Nuts may be roasted, chopped, or ground into peanut butter. After animals are slaughtered, the resulting meat and poultry might then be cut into pieces, ground, smoked, cooked, frozen, or combined with other ingredients (for example, in making sausage). Contaminated water or ice may be used to wash, pack, or chill fruits or vegetables, roasted peanuts that have been stored in unclean conditions might be ground to make peanut butter, or pathogens from an animal’s intestines may make their way into the final meat product, resulting in contamination.

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Process

Food Production and Distribution

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EFFECT ON ECONOMY CHANGE IN ATTACKS NEW LAWS

In response to threats such as these, the United States passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 and the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA). FSMA is not focused on preventing purposeful contamination, but the new powers granted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will decrease the possibility of an attack or mitigate its impact. Both of these laws have been crucial in the fight against the threat of agroterrorism.

An agroterrorism attack is a grave threat, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified four groups of potential perpetrators who should be suspected in such an attack. Transnational terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda are believed to present the most probable threat of attacking the U.S. agriculture industry to cause economic harm. While groups such as these pose the greatest threat to U.S. national security involving all forms of terrorism, when it comes to agroterrorism other groups may have different motivations.

 

The Threat of Agroterrorism Today

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Although many experts believe that an agroterrorism attack would be among the easiest actions for a terrorist to take against the United States, the nation has yet to be the victim of a large-scale, successful attack of this nature. To keep this from occurring, vulnerabilities must be addressed within our agriculture industry and food supply. Addressing these will help to ensure that our food supply remains safe and plentiful, and that the prosperous economy that enables Americans to enjoy this food supply inexpensively remains as well.

Conclusion

KEY TERMS

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Food contamination, regardless of the cause, is a concern in itself, and even with the extensive safeguards employed by the agriculture industry it remains a concern. By examining the many steps in the food production chain, one can see how easy it is for food to become contaminated. Each step includes the potential for food contamination.

If human deaths are the terrorist’s desired result, the food production chain offers many effective opportunities for disseminating botulism, salmonella, and many other potential agents. Many food processing and packing plants hire seasonal workers who are not skilled in preventing such an event. Furthermore, security measures in such facilities are far more lax than one would find in a nuclear or chemical facility, making a food-borne attack an even more cost-effective and attractive target for terrorists.

Food production involves growing the plants that are harvested or raising the animals that are slaughtered for food, and most of this production occurs on farms or ranches as the majority of the food Americans eat comes from domesticated plants and animals. The exceptions include certain types of fish, mushrooms, and game, which can be caught or harvested in the wild. At this point in the chain, fields might be sprayed with contaminated water for irrigation, or fish may acquire toxins by eating smaller sea creatures that are poisoned. These conditions can cause food contamination.

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Food Production and Distribution

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