Is agriculture terrorism a valid issue?

Answer 1

Agriculture terrorism is a very valid concern. And I'm not talking about something silly like Monsanto etc. either. There are a lot of ways that terrorist could sabotage agriculture products that would cripple a country's economy as well as their health. I don't think it would be very healthy to discus this in detail on this forum, but agriculture terrorism is no joke and should be taken seriously.

Answer 2

First off, I work in agriculture, here in the U.S.A. (Idaho to be exact).

If you knew exactly how open and easy it would be to do some REALLY nasty things in the agriculture sector, you would be a believer.

I don't know of a single farm I wouldn't be able to simply walk onto, and introduce some nasty disease to the livestock. (No more meat)

I don't know of a single grain mill I couldn't walk up to, and turn into a giant bomb. (No more bread. flour or cereal products)

Singlehandedly I could ruin most of the nations potatoes. No kidding, I live in the heart of potato country. 70% of the potatoes are grown right here in my county alone.

Showing up at one well placed livestock auction, they type where the animals we be transported to many different states, not just locally, and introducing a disease could have dire conciquences for the nations food supply.

So ultra easy to get poison into a farmers irregation water, and poison an entire field.

With a few well planned attacks terrorist could really damage the nations food supply.

Unfortunatly, since America is such an open country there really isn't that much we can do about it.

There are some good things. People are not stupid. I said that "I" could get close to all the potential targets, that's exactly what I ment. I work and live in the agriculture sector. I walk the walk, talk the talk, dress right, look right...everything about me screams "harmless country gal."

People are hopefully going to notice a bunch of people who do not "fit in" and keep an eye on them. So what if terrorist got to blow up 20 grain mills all at once. Does that mean they will blow them all up? Heck no...once Americans realize what's happening, Farmer John, and every local Redneck is going to be down at the local grain mill guarding it with shotguns.

The most devistating thing that could happen is the spread of a disease among the livestock at an auction. The livestock wouldn't show signs of illness for a few days to a few weeks. By that time they are probably already with their new herds.

When I bring new stock to my farm, I quarentine them for a month. It's a damn good thing I do this too.

I agreeded to babysit three goats for a dear friend, while she finished building her fence. The three goats had been given to her, as they were someone elses pets.

I put them in the quarintene pen, instead of with my herd. I was so glad that I had. The one female pygmy goat had a goat herpies. She could have spread it to my entire herd, and all my goats (over 100) would have been destroyed.

Instead the three goats were the only ones that had to be destroyed, and not my entire herd.

Farmers need to practice good bio-safe messures.

By the way, 99% of my customers are Muslim. They come directly to my farm, and butcher the animals here. I am not profiling people with my posting, if that's what they think.

~Garnet
Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 3

Great answer Garnet.

Also, it's not so much the direct impact of a ag-terrorism act, it's the repercussions from the point forward. Remeber how nice it was to fly 10 years ago (maybe you don't, don't know your age) when you could show up at the airport 45 min before your flight, carry your toenail clippers in your pocket, and board your flight in 10 minutes?

Well, take all the BS we have to put up with now at the airport and apply it to ag. Guards around the cattle pens, endless loads of paperwork for the farmer to track his products through the chain......the list would go on and on. That would be the real death of ag in the US, the endless red tape created to prevent terrorism.

Answer 4

You got some good answers, but none really addressed the real problem of possible bioterrorism. The clean up after an anthrax attack (and humans a re susceptible) would be tremndous. Go to any concentrated feeding area and think about disposing of 200,000 carcasses withoutn contaminating the whole area. Review some of the English films after their BSE scare.

Answer 5

Yes it is because agriculture is widely dispersed, relying on constant transportation of material and produce, and because so many farmers work alone.
Hoof-and-mouth, poison in one commercial grainbin, etc - dangers can be very widespread before they are detected.

Answer 6

The only agricultural terrorists I know, are Greenpeace and José Bové, from France.
Us farmers, feed the world, and still have to put up with ignorants like the ones that answered up here...


TO "THE CAT": Since you sent me an email and I can't answer it to you privately, here's my response:
Organic farmers are HOBBY FARMERS.
In the real world they'd starve to death.
Thank Monsanto, Cargill, Pioneer, Syngenta, ADM, etc, because they are the reason we are not getting 30 bu óf corn per acre as we used to, in the 40s...

To the 3rd world countries, and even in the US, they are the ones who make costs affordable, and yields profitable.

Answer 7

If the food supply is poisoned what do you think will happen!

Answer 8

Yes & I am also against them mucking on with our food.

Answer 9

This feels like catholics seeing sins everywhere...
Terrorism is not much than a hoax to keep people scare...
Now think again, and see a little bit further...
Thank you all!

Answer 10

Don't forget ADM !!!!!!! How do you like your genetically modified Cheerios? With steroid filled milk or soy?