News Release - Protecting Against Agro-Terrorism Critical, Etheridge, N.C. Official Tell U.S. House Panel

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

May 25, 2005

Contact: Sara Lang
Phone: (202) 225-4531

Protecting Against Agro-Terrorism Critical, Etheridge, N.C. Official Tell U.S. House Panel

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a member of the Homeland Security and Agriculture committees, and a N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services official today advocated for stronger protection of the nation's agriculture and food supply before a House panel. Etheridge and N.C. Food Administrator Joe Reardon participated in a hearing of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee's Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment Subcommittee examining the threat of agro-terrorism.

"Our state has been a leader in protecting our farms and food supply and in identifying the threats posed to agriculture," Etheridge said. "It is high time the federal government follows North Carolina's lead and dedicates more resources to agro-security. We know that terrorists want to attack our food supply, and a successful attack on agriculture could be crippling to North Carolina's economy, to our national economy and to our national security."

North Carolina has been a leader on evaluating the threats posed by agro-terrorism and protecting the agriculture sector. The state has prepared for agro-terrorism by:

Establishing a food safety and defense task force co-chaired by representatives from the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services;
Investing in a Geospatial/Geographical Information System (GIS);
Including infectious disease in the list of known hazards in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan and;
Hosting and participating in national level symposiums to discuss methods of mass euthanasia and carcass disposal that could be used in a large-scale livestock disease eradication program

While North Carolina has taken important steps toward agro-security, Reardon testified that national leadership must take effective action to address agro-terrorism. "Homeland security funding has hardened critical infrastructures in America's population centers and this is consistent with the affinity of Al-Qaeda for high profile targets. However, as we harden highly visible, metropolitan infrastructures, greater pressures are placed on agriculture as a ripe target for an attack with high visibility and an economically potent impact," Reardon said.

Agriculture is central to North Carolina's economy, contributing $59 billion each year to the economy and employing nearly 20 percent of the state's workforce. North Carolina is also a major producer of the nation's food supply. The state's swine and turkey industries rank second in the nation and the poultry industry ranks third. North Carolina supplies enough pork to feed one out of every four families in America.

The Homeland Security Committee is expected to consider major agro-security legislation this year.