El-Lissy, Osama

Granger, Larry

Maczka, Carol

Otto, Ralph

Spence, Joseph

English

Research Papers in Economics

Agricultural  Outlook  Forum      Presented:  February  17,  2006 
 
OVERVIEW OF USDA HOMELAND SECURITY EFFORTS – CURRENT AND 
FUTURE INITIATIVES TO PROTECT THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECTORS 
 
Larry Granger 
Associate Deputy Administrator for Emergency Management 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA 
 
 
Osama El-Lissy 
Director of Evasive Species and Pest Management Programs 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA 
 
Ralph Otto 
Deputy Administrator 
Cooperative State Research  
Education and Extension Service  
Plant and Animal Systems, USDA  
 
 
Carol Maczka 
Assistant Administrator  
Food Safety and Inspection Service 
Office of Food Defense and Emergency Preparedness, USDA 
 
 
Joseph Spence 
Deputy Administrator 
National Program Staff 
Nutrition, Food Safety and Quality 
Agricultural Research Service, USDA  
 USDA Homeland Security
Keep America’s Food and Agriculture Safe
Agriculture Outlook Forum
February 17, 2006Homeland Security at USDA
• Creation of USDA Homeland Security Council - Sept. 2001
– Mission:  To develop a Department-wide plan and coordinate 
efforts among all USDA agencies and offices
• Establishment of USDA Homeland Security Staff  - Aug. 2002
– Mission: To provide leadership and coordination for the 
Department’s homeland security efforts. Liaison with Federal, 
State, local, and industry stakeholders.USDA Homeland Security Structure
USDA Homeland Security Council
Secretary
Deputy Secretary
Homeland Security Office
Under/Assistant Secretaries
Communications Director
Executive Office of the President
Protection of the Food Supply & 
Agricultural Production
Under Secretary, Food Safety, Co-Chair
Under Secretary, Marketing & 
Regulatory Programs, Co-Chair
Protecting USDA Facilities & Other 
Infrastructure
Under Secretary, Natural Resources &  
Environment, Co-Chair
Under Secretary, Research, Education &  
Economics, Co-Chair
Protecting USDA Staff/ 
Emergency Preparedness
Assistant Sec., Administration
Inspector GeneralUSDA’s Key Assets 
• Skilled professionals including veterinarians, plant pathologists, 
inspection personnel, risk assessors, analysts, emergency response 
personnel, educators, resource managers, and laboratory staff
• Physically located throughout the country including on-site in 
food processing facilities
• Key relationships with the private sector                        and 
university community
• Strong relationships with State partners
–Lab networks
–State inspection program (food)
– Training for State partners
Over 30 Agencies and Offices dedicated to agricultural, food, 
natural resources, and forestry issuesThe Agriculture & Food Sector 
is Essential To National Security
All Photos - Source: USDA/OC Photo LibraryU.S. Agriculture  U.S. Agriculture - - a National Resource a National Resource
“Most reliable, secure 
and safe supply of 
food at a reasonable 
cost that the world 
has ever known”
Source: Agricultural Statistics Board (National Agricultural Statistics Service)
16.7% 
or 
1 in 6 Jobs
Direct and 
Related 
Employment
$1.24 
Trillion
or
12.3% of 
GDP
Value 
Toward GDPChallenges to Protecting the 
U.S. Agriculture and Food Sector
• Terrorism knows no boundaries
– Sept. 11, 2001 
– Expanding USDA’s mission to 
include ‘security’
• Animal and plant pathogens    
and pests - readily available 
overseas
• Information on their use - on the 
Internet
Source: USDA/OC Photo LibraryHSPD-9 Highlights 
• HSPD-9 sets a national policy for defending our food 
and agriculture system against terrorist attacks, major 
disasters, and other emergencies
Key Components:
– Awareness & Warning 
– Vulnerability Assessments
– Mitigation Strategies
– Response Planning & Recovery
– Outreach & Professional  
Development
– Research & DevelopmentWhat is USDA Doing to Address 
Security within the Sector?
All photos: Source USDA/OC Photo LibraryProtecting American Agriculture
• Assessments of USDA-owned facilities (i.e., research 
facilities, airtanker bases) and private facilities (i.e.., food
processing facilities, rural utilities)
• Cooperation with DHS on border protection, food and 
agricultural security
All photos: Source USDA/OC Photo LibraryProtecting American Agriculture
Animal Health Programs and Research
• Focus on diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment and prevention
– Diagnosis:
• Early detection of pathogens; Comparative microbial genomics; 
Genomic fingerprints of existing agents; Collect information on agent 
epidemiology
– Disease Control Strategies: 
• Development of new vaccine strategies that rapidly accommodate 
new strains; Development of non-specific disease treatment 
strategies; Development of antiviral treatments
– Priority Animal Diseases:
• Foot and Mouth disease virus, Avian influenza, Rift Valley Fever, 
Exotic Newcastle, Classical Swine Fever, Vesicular stomatitis virusProtecting American Agriculture
Plant Health Programs and Research
• Focus on detection, epidemiology and protection
– Rapid Diagnostics: soybean rust, citrus canker, sudden oak death, 
wheat rusts, citrus tristeza, Pierce’s Disease – grapes
– Prevention:  pathogen biology, genetics, host plant resistance,
spread
– Control:  biological, cultural
• Accomplishments
– Developed classical and real-time PCR assays for rapid detection 
and discrimination of the two soybean rust pathogens.  
– Identification of P. pachyrhizi  from infected soybean leaves using 
real-time PCR assay allows for more rapid diagnosis. Protecting the Food System
• Awareness and Warning
– Implemented National Consumer Complaint Monitoring System
– Increasing laboratory capacity to detect threat agents
– Developing the Food and Agriculture Biosurveillance System to 
gain situational awareness for food safety and security
• Vulnerability Assessments
– Conducting vulnerability assessments for 
domestic and imported products in house as 
well as in partnership with State and Local 
Officials, FBI, DHS, FDA, and Industry
• Mitigation Strategies
– Incorporated food defense into inspection activities
– Developed security guidelines for food processors, distributors, and 
transporters 
– Developing countermeasures based upon vulnerability assessments
Source: USDA/FSISProtecting the Food System
• Response Planning and Recovery
– Conducting exercises that simulate intentional contamination of food 
products throughout the country
– Developing Non Routine Incident Management System
– Developed guidelines for disposal of contaminated product and 
decontamination of processing facilities
• Outreach and Professional Development
– Conducted outreach to food-defense partners (state and local 
agriculture and public health agencies, law enforcement, and 
industry) to raise awareness of food defense issues and to provide 
vulnerability assessment training
– Provided tools to assist industry in hardening                  
the food supply:
• Security Self-Assessment Checklist
• Guidance Documents
• Model Food Defense Plans
Source: USDA/ARS Photo LibraryNational Food, Animal & Plant 
Health Laboratory Networks
• FERN, NAHLN and NPDN - Network of Federal and State 
resources to enhance detection of and enable a rapid and sufficient 
response to food, animal and plant health emergencies
– Information Sharing
– Early Detection/Surveillance
– Surge Capacity
– Coordinated Resource Allocation
• Integrated Consortium of                                        
Laboratory Networks
– Communicate and cooperate across animal, plant, food, public 
health and environmental labs
– Sharing capabilities, policies, procedures,                     
and approaches for handling laboratory 
analysis in national emergencies.  
– Limit redundancies, identify gaps, and seek solutions
Photos Source: USDA/ARS Photo Library Research
Animals, Plants, and Foods:
• Prevention
– Understanding mechanisms of disease resistance
• Detection and Diagnosis
– Rapid, highly sensitive diagnostics
• Control
– Technologies to prevent contamination and disease spread
• Mitigation
– Development of disease resistant germplasm 
• Inactivation
– Development of effective methods to inactivate pathogens and 
toxinsWhat Can You Do?
• Awareness
– Recognize suspicious behavior 
and know how to report it
– Educate each other
• Preparedness
– Make plans and exercise them
• Response
- Know your role relative to others
Source: USDA/OC Photo LibraryInformation and Outreach
The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN)
• To assist Extension 
professionals in educational 
programming efforts, this site 
offers ready-to-use 
presentations, case studies, 
applied activities, and handouts 
for producer workshops and/or 
community awareness 
presentations
• State-specific information
www.agctr.lsu.edu/eden/For More Information 
USDA Homeland Security Office: www.usda.gov/homelandsecurity/
Food Safety & Inspection Service, Office of Food Defense & Emergency Response:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Security_&_Emergency_Preparedness/index.asp
Emergency contact number (24 hours) 1-800-333-1284
USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline, e-mail: mphotline.fsis@usda.gov
Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service:
Veterinary Services: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/
Plant Protection & Quarantine: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/
Anti-smuggling Hotline: 1-800-877-3835 
Agricultural Research Service: www.arsnet.usda.gov/ohs/
Cooperative State Research, Education & Extension Service: 
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/ag_biosecurity/ag_biosecurity.html

Overview of USDA Homeland Security Efforts - Current and Future Initiatives to Protect the Agriculture and Food Sectors

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Research Papers in Economics