Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts of Agroterrorism

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• Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts of
  Agroterrorism

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• Terminal Learning Objective
• At the conclusion of this session, participants
  will recognize contributions of
• agriculture and related businesses to the
  economic and social well being of the
• nation, state and local community types of
  ag-related businesses specific to
• the local community definitions of
  agroterrorism, bioterrorism, biosecurity and
• agrosecurity reasons why livestock and crop
  diseases could pose a significant risk
• categories of disease threats and potential
  first responders within the local
• community.
• Enabling Objectives
• 1.1 State how agriculture and related businesses
  contribute to the economic and social well being
• 1.2 Identify types of ag-related businesses
  specific to the local community
• 1.3 Define agroterrorism, bioterrorism,
  biosecurity and agrosecurity
• 1.4 Discuss reasons why livestock and crop
  diseases could pose a significant risk
• 1.5 Define categories of disease threats
• 1.6 Identify potential first responders within
  the local community.

Slide 1-A
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Objectives for Participants

• To recognize the contributions of agriculture and
  ag-related businesses to the economic and social
  well-being of the nation, state and local
  community.
• To identify types of ag-related businesses
  specific to the local community.
• To define agroterrorism, bioterrorism,
  biosecurity and agrosecurity.

Slide 2
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Objectives for Participants

• To recognize why livestock and crop diseases
  could pose a significant risk.
• To recognize categories of disease threats.
• To identify potential first responders within the
  local community.

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What Agriculture Means to the U.S.

• Agriculture is Americas largest industry
• 100-billion-plus livestock and poultry industry
• 100-billion-plus crop industry
• About 18 of all American jobs
• 13 of the nations gross domestic product

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Importance to the Economy

• The U.S. produces more food than any other nation
  in the world, and we are the worlds largest
  exporter of agricultural products.

Export sales of about 51 billion annually
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Importance of Food and Fiber

• In two-thirds of Georgias counties, Agriculture
  represents either the largest or second largest
  part of the countys economy.
• Source
• The Economic Importance of Food and Fiber
• to Georgias Rural Economy

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Georgias Farm Gate Values - 2004

• Poultry Eggs 4.8 billion
• Row Forage Crops 1.5 billion
• Livestock Aquaculture 1.3 billion
• Vegetables 725.3 million
• Other (crop insurance, leases, etc.) 700
  million
• Ornamental Horticulture 646.9 million
• Forestry Products 607.9 million
• Fruits Nuts 227.4 million
• Ag-based and Nature-based Tourism 62.4 million
• Total Farm Gate Value 10.3 billion

Farm gate value value of production on the
farm (value as it leaves the farm)
Source 2004 Farm Gate Value Report, Center for
Agribusiness and Economic Development The
University of Georgia
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What Agriculture Means to Our Area
Slide 8
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Potential Crisis

• Agriculture is the soft underbelly of the
  American economy. Its an absolutely vital
  sector, but its terribly difficult to protect.
• Peter Probst, retired CIA official
• October 4, 2001

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Agroterrorism

• Any criminal act that
• Introduces hazards to plant, animal, and human
  health
• Erodes public confidence in U.S. food supply and
  safety
• Damages agricultural commerce and economy,
  including international trade
• Causes social unrest

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What is Bioterrorism?

• The use of biological agents, such as pathogenic
  organisms or agricultural pests, for terrorist
  purposes.
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Protozoa
• Parasites and/or vectors
• Prions
• Biological toxins
• Broader than just agriculture

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What is Biosecurity? Agrosecurity?

• Biosecurity is a general term for protection from
  risks posed by biological, chemical or
  radiological agents to
• -plant or animal health
• -the agricultural economy
• -the environment
• -human health.
• Agrosecurity is the application of biosecurity
  and physical security to the agriculture and food
  sectors.

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Why Use Livestock or Crop Diseases?

• Agents are EASY to introduce
• No need for weaponization - EASE of transmission
• Perpetrator safety
• Agents are widely available

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Categories of the Disease Threats

• Natural Diseases that occur naturally or that
  are endemic in an area.

Deer with (CWD) Chronic Wasting Disease

• American deer population is at risk from a
  variety of diseases and overpopulation
  including CWD.
• Deer could be instrumental in the spread of
  diseases like Foot- and-Mouth and Bovine
  Tuberculosis.
• Deer may serve as a disease reservoir.
• Deer population is growing in some areas at gt20
  per year despite hunting.

Currently CWD is not in Georgia
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Categories of the Disease Threats
Accidental Diseases that are introduced by
accidental activities.
New York Citys Central Park

• For the 1st time in more than 100 years there
  are wild turkeys in Central Park, NY.
• Raccoon hunters in Virginia illegally imported
  raccoons with rabies from Florida.
• Raccoons are a natural predator of turkeys.
• As the raccoon population has dropped, the
  turkey population has expanded.
• Rabies was an accidental introduction in this
  case.
• This may be a good accident for turkeys, but a
  bad one for raccoons. Also, there may be other
  unintended consequences not yet known.

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Categories of the Disease Threats
Intentional Diseases that are introduced into
an area or population purposely.
Documents confiscated from caves in Afghanistan
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For Activity 1
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Preparation Is Key
Regardless of the origin of the threat,
agricultural food representatives,
veterinarians, public health workers and
traditional first responders will be required to
rapidly and effectively resolve the situation
before catastrophic consequences occur.
Slide 18
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Economic Losses from Recent Agricultural Disease
Events

United Kingdom 2001 Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Outbreak 20 50 billion 10 million animals
destroyed Political destabilization
Slide 19
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Potential FMD Disease Spread
After a simulated terrorist attack at 5 locations
Day
2
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23
30
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States Infected
30
35
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5
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Day 5 Disease First Detected
Slide 20
Even if a national Stop Movement of all
susceptible animals is ordered on Day 8, by the
time the disease is eradicated the nation would
still lose 23.6 million animals!
Potential Impact
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Economic Losses from Recent Agricultural Disease
Events

Taiwan 1998 Foot-and-Mouth Disease gt10 billion
in losses 6 million animals destroyed
Australia 1999 Exotic Newcastle Disease 2
billion in losses
Slide 21
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Social Impact

• Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the UK
• 175,000 farmers out of work permanently
• Numerous suicides

• Mental anguish
• Unemployment

Slide 22
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Environmental Consequences

• Disposal of carcasses
• Burial/burning
• Rendering

X
Slide 23
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Can You Find Five Mistakes In This Picture?

Training is Critical to Success and Safety
Slide 24
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An Example of How NOT to Conduct Ag Disease
Response Operations

• Not wearing protective mask
• Poor depopulation approach
• Failure to wear protection over boots
• Inadequate disposal site preparation
• Area decontamination conducted during
  depopulation process

NOTE If your attention to detail regarding
personal protective equipment is poor, then most
likely other key aspects of your response
sequence are equally poor.
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Our next Pandemic

• 1918-19 Spanish Flu killed 20-50 million
• Avian Flu
• Cost several 100 M to industry so far
• Killed 46 human victims to date
• More virulent than Spanish Flu
• CDC thinks it is likely to mutate and spread from
  human to human

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Our next Pandemic

• A pandemic of Bird Flu is imminent.
• WHO (2/23/05)

Slide 27
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food continuum
Farm to Table
Source UCD/WIFSS
Slide 28
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food continuum

• Intentional harm within the system will likely be
  detected by
• Employees in the system (e.g. farmers/processing
  plant workers)
• Extension Agents
• Veterinarians
• Police, EMS, Fire
• Public health workers
• Regulators
• Diagnostic laboratory personnel
• Physicians
• Hospital/clinical personnel
• Public---consumers
• Institutional workers, e.g. employees in
  schools, municipalities

Farm to Table
Frontline Response Personnel
Source UCD/WIFSS
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Agrosecurity Mascot
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Reference List For More Information
See Your Textbooks Protecting Georgias
Agriculture and Food Agrosecurity. Chapter
1. Protecting Americas Agriculture and Food
Agrosecurity. Chapter 3.
Slide 31