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Conference logo2 April 22–24, 2008 | Hyatt Regency Hotel | Kansas City, Missouri

The Heart of America Joint Terrorism Task Force (HOA-JTTF), in conjunction with the Kansas City Division of the FBI, initiated the concept of an international symposium on agroterrorism. The goal was to bring together the public and private sectors to identify and thwart domestic and global terrorism threats to the world's food supply. This initial discussion led to the development of the International Symposium on Agroterrorism (ISA).

The inaugural ISA was held May 2-5, 2005 in Kansas City, Missouri. The conference brought together more than 800 individuals from all 50 states and eight foreign countries. Attendees represented a wide range of entities including government and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, academia, the scientific community, private industry, and the health, medical, and veterinary professions. In addition to subject matter experts, prominent speakers included the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, and FBI Director Robert Mueller.

The second ISA, held September 25-29, 2006, built upon the success of the inaugural event, assembling nearly 1000 attendees from 21 different countries. The ISA 2006 utilized break-out sessions and case studies to illustrate the importance of a coordinated effort necessary to protect the food supply.

The ISA is unique in that it provides an opportunity for the attendees to not only hear world-renowned experts describing relevant topics of concern, but also to interact one-on-one with industry professionals facing similar issues. Assembling representatives from such a variety of disciplines aids in understanding the problem and fosters ideas and strategies to solve it.

The third ISA is scheduled for April 22-24, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. It will focus on the importance of food defense and the need to closely communicate and coordinate among private industry, law enforcement, government agencies, science, academia, and the health and medical professions in order to protect the global food supply.

The food and agricultural sectors must remain vigilant. The ISA is dedicated to cooperation and mutual education to prevent, detect, deter, and investigate potential attacks on the food supply worldwide.

Facts About Agroterrorism

What is Agriculture? Livestock, Crops, and Food Processing
Systems.

Agroterrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against some component of agriculture to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives in such a way as to adversely impact the agriculture industry, any component thereof, the economy, or the consuming public.

Agroterrorism targets: livestock, crops, water supplies, food in grocery stores, farm workers, food processors, restaurants… just to name a few.

Biological weapons have been called “the poor man’s atom bomb” because the capacity to produce and spread them requires relatively little in the way of sophisticated technology.

Sources: FEMA; The Ultimate Terrorist, Jessica Stern, 1999; “30 Years of Terrorism: A Special Report,” FBI, 1999; CNN; New York Times

Definitions

Food Defense

Guarding against the intentional contamination of food.

Food Security

This term is sometimes used interchangeably with food defense. However, the traditional definition of food security in the world of public health refers to the implication that “all people at all times have both physical and economic access to enough food for an active, healthy life.”
(WHO, 2002)

Food Terrorism

“An act or threat of deliberate contamination of food for human consumption with chemical, biological or radionuclear agents for the purpose of causing injury or death to civilian populations or disrupting social, economic, or political stability.” (WHO, 2002)