Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness
The potential of terrorist attacks against agricultural targets (agroterrorism) is increasingly recognized as a national security threat, especially after the events of September 11, 2001. This report focuses primarily on biological weapons (rather than chemical weapons) because biological weapons generally are considered the more potent agroterrorism threat. This report also focuses more on the threat of agroterrorism against agricultural production, rather than on food processing and distribution, although the latter is discussed.
Protecting the Food Supply Chain from Terrorist Attack
The food supply chain is a critical infrastructure that is an attractive target for terrorist attacks. Despite its importance, relatively little research has focused on improving the security of the food supply chain infrastructure. This is largely due to a lack of awareness on the part of food supply chain stakeholders and authorities about the threats. This paper describes a methodology for assessing the risk associated with threats to the food supply chain, with the goal of enhancing awareness and helping develop appropriate security measures.
Indicators
Preliminary data show a first quarter deficit at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $8.4 billion in the balance on current account. Revised 1971 data confirm a current account deficit of $2.8 billion for the year.