John Shutske, Professor
University of Minnesota
Center for Public Health Preparedness
College of Agricultural, Food, and
Environmental Sciences
Agroterrorism
Agroterrorism and
and Food
Food
Systems
Systems Defense
Defense
key
key issues
issues and
and research
research needs
needs
Why Should We be
Concerned About Agriculture
and Food as a Vulnerable
Infrastructure?
Five Reasons
(in need of rural P.H. preparedness
expertise…)
Five Reasons
1. Size, economic impact of
agricultural and food industries
Why Be Concerned About
the Food System?
•
In 2001, food and fiber
industry:
employed nearly 24
million people
− had output > $2 trillion
− generated > $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)
1
We’re Talking About Much More
than Just “The Farm”
Five Reasons
Food Process Distribution Chain
2. Global nature of our food
supply
Farm and
Transport
Input
Distribution
Center
Processor
supplier
D/C Warehouse
Retail grocer
or restaurant
Adapted from materials by Dr. Ted
Labuza, University of Minnesota
Globalization
Worldwide, MANY People Producing
Food (number is in millions)
Grains
Oils
Cheese
Juices
Vegetables
Bananas
Cocoa
Seafood
Processed Meat
Spices
2.7 billion
total
Five Reasons
Fresh Meat
Graphic from National Ctr. For Food Protection and Defense
Prevention vs. Preparedness
3. 2,000,000 vulnerable nodes
in this country alone
2
Which is Easier to Fully
Protect?
Five Reasons
4. Overlap of CDC Category
A,B,and C Agents with
Agricultural, Food, and Animals
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.
The “A” List
Anthrax
Smallpox
Plague
Tularemia
Botulism
Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
Which are zoonotic?
Five Reasons
5. We all eat!
3
Imagine Waking Up to the
News..
Symbolically…..
•
The relationship
between people
and our food
supply is an
intimate one.
•
•
Dairy herds found
simultaneously
infected in CA, FL,
Maine, and WA
Biological/chemical
toxins discovered in
school lunches in
Lebanon, Kansas
Why Lebanon Kansas?
Two Tabletop Exercises
Challenges
to 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.
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.)
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.)
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