FBI and Agriculture Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. The FBI investigates crimes of all types and sizes, but did you know that the FBI plays a role in securing U.S. agriculture?
Scott Mahloch, a Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator with the FBI, says his department covers chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards, but when it comes to agriculture …
MAHLOCH … “I would say biological threats probably have the most going on, whether it's emerging technologies, agriculture, and food defense; there's a lot going on when it comes to biological threats.”
Keep in mind, Mahloch says the FBI is not a regulator, but …
MAHLOCH … “It's important that I align myself with local, state, and federal regulatory agencies to understand what the vulnerabilities are when it comes to agriculture and food defense. We consider Food and Agriculture a part of national security. If that's disrupted, we're going to have some big issues.”
Mahloch says the FBI takes part in many agrelated public events to get in front of those stakeholders …
MAHLOCH … “If you have a small family farm, it’s a dairy farm, and maybe you're holding that milk for a couple of days before it's picked up, how do you safeguard that milk? And a lot of times, I think these discussions really hit home, because when you're a small family farm, security is often an afterthought, if a thought at all.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on why the FBI considers food security … national security.
