Agriculture & Food Defense Archives

Illinois – Lessons From a Radiological Incident Exercise

Shay Simmons and Curtis Hawk April 23, 2014

When a radiological incident occurs, the consequences can be devastating. However, the frequency and probability of such incidents limit many jurisdictions from being fully prepared and trained. Illinois officials understand the threat and conduct annual exercises to ensure that jurisdictions in and around its nuclear facilities are ready for their

California – A Growing Response to Persistent Drought

Mark Ghilarducci March 26, 2014

The average person in the United States uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water per day. California’s multiyear drought has broken new records, created unprecedented reductions in water supply, and demands personal conservation techniques. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has been leading the charge toward mitigating this widespread

Preparedness & Progress for Emerging Pathogenic Threats

Robert C. Hutchinson March 12, 2014

Equipment, plans, and personnel are only as good as their ability to perform when needed. When disaster strikes, it is imperative that local, state, and federal levels of government, emergency management, volunteer organizations, and healthcare coalitions are all operationally ready and trained to use all of the “stuff” they have

Preparing the Next Generation for War on the Virtual Battlefront

Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso February 25, 2014

A “cyber Pearl Harbor” is imminent, according to government and industry experts. Recognizing the threat and implementing programs and training to better guard against such threats is critical to protect the various U.S. infrastructure systems and networks.

Call for Help – Defending the Food Supply

Amy Kircher January 29, 2014

There are plots to use food as a delivery mechanism for weapons of mass destruction and plots to intentionally alter food products for economic gain. As such, food defense is everybody’s business. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently asking for comments that would help mitigate the intentional adulteration

Food Defense Activities – A Year in Review

Jason Bashura January 22, 2014

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a staff of people dedicated to protecting the nation’s food supply. These Food Defense and Emergency Coordination Staff members are actively participating in conferences, meetings, and exercises throughout the year and providing valuable tools to national and international stakeholders. A summary of the

Protecting the Food Supply Outside the Walls

Don Hsieh January 15, 2014

When food products disappear, there are no serial or vehicle identification numbers to identify these stolen goods when they re-enter legal markets. Although there is a significant financial concern to the companies, a greater public concern is the safety of the food itself – ranging from improper handling and storage

Checklists for All-Hazards Food Defense Planning

Kay C. Goss January 15, 2014

In the not-too-distant past, most food consumed by Americans traveled directly from the farm to the kitchen table. Today, there are a dozen or so stops of varying duration on the way – all of them vulnerable to mold, theft, sabotage, spoiling, and/or infection from zoonotic diseases.

Food Processors – Recovery Before a Recall

Wm. Mark Cosby January 15, 2014

Recovery begins during the planning stage. As past unintentional cases of food contamination have shown, the effects of an intentional incident could be extremely costly to food processors and the nation as a whole. Understanding the features that processors should include in their recovery plans will help to quickly restore

New Mexico – ‘Defensive’ About Agriculture & Food

Kelly Hamilton January 8, 2014

In a state with a large agricultural and food industry, protecting that infrastructure is a difficult yet necessary task that New Mexico takes very seriously. Guidance and support from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have helped initiate innovative programs and exercises to protect the state’s cattle, alfalfa hay, milk,

FINAL REPORT: Food Defense

Amy Kircher December 13, 2013

Food, like water and air, is essential to sustain life. As such, when someone deliberately taints that sustenance at any point in the food supply chain, the result can be devastating. This report addresses the topic of food defense, which is of great importance to the preparedness community, but it

Redirecting Dual-Use Research Regulations

Courtney Gavitt November 20, 2013

Life science research benefits society in many ways, but also creates certain risks – particularly when that research falls into the wrong hands, either deliberately or unintentionally. Clearly defined rules and regulations governing the results of such dual-use research could help keep scientific research focused on less dangerous and more

TWITTER

Get Instant Access

Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.

Sign up for Updates!