As of January 1, 2004 there were 950,000 beef cows in Florida, ranking the state 12th in beef cows nationally and third for States east of the Mississippi Rover (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2004). The study sample population of beef producers consisted of a considerable portion of large operations, since 26.4% (N=24) of the respondents reported over 1,000 animals during the peak time of production. Moreover, these large operations account for a large portion of Florida's economic value in the beef cattle industry, as 14.3% (N=13) of the population reported an average annual gross receipt value of $1,000,000 or more. Overall, this study provided insight into the development of educational materials and programs to promote the use of agroterrorism security practices by Florida beef cattle producers.
The purpose of the study is to identify beef cattle producers' current knowledge level of animal activism and measure the perceived level of an animal activism risk to the operation. This convenience sample consisted of beef cattle producers in attendance at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course held on August 6-8, 2012, and members of the Angus Journal e-list. Results confirmed that respondents found it fairly likely that an animal activist attack could happen in the United States and that it could likely happen in their home state. Respondents found it less likely that an attack could happen to their operation, but in the instance of an attack, they are to be prepared. Respondents identified two aspects of their operation as susceptible threats: tampering with gates and locks and theft/misuse. Although beef cattle producers recognize the importance of safe guarding their operation against potential threats, most are not implementing the precautions necessary to do so. As far as the preferred source of information about activist threats, respondents were fairly likely to contact law enforcement, the Internet, farm magazines, their Extension agent, and their veterinarian. Most of the producers had never attended an animal activism workshop but did say they would attend one at least once. As a majority, the respondents had not invested time or money to reduce loss of production due to animal activism and did not have access to educational material to answer questions they might have about animal activism. The preferred delivery method of future animal activism educational materials should be offered to beef cattle producers in the evenings. The best method of educating respondents proved to be dinner meetings. Books, computer software and audio disks were the least popular methods of education. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/149551
The potential of terrorist attacks against agricultural targets (agroterrorism) is increasingly recognized as a national security threat, especially after the events of September 11, 2001. Agroterrorism is a subset of bioterrorism, and is defined as the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear, causing economic losses, and/or undermining stability. Attacks against agriculture are not new, and have been conducted or considered by both nation-states and substate organizations throughout history. The results of an agroterrorist attack may include major economic crises in the agricultural and food industries, loss of confidence in government, and possibly human casualties. Humans could be at risk in terms of food safety or public health, especially if the chosen disease is transmissible to humans (zoonotic). Public opinion may be particularly sensitive to a deliberate outbreak of disease affecting the food supply. Public confidence in government could be eroded if authorities appear unable to prevent such an attack or to protect the population's food supply. Agriculture has several characteristics that pose unique problems for managing the threat. Agricultural production is geographically disbursed in unsecured environments. Livestock are frequently concentrated in confined locations, and then transported and commingled with other herds. Pest and disease outbreaks can quickly halt economically important exports. Many veterinarians lack experience with foreign animal diseases that are resilient and endemic in foreign countries.
"Designed for career and technical high school students who require competency in all phases and types of livestock production, the Ninth Edition of MODERN LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY PRODUCTION has been revised to include the most up-to-date, comprehensive information in the field. With coverage of basic animal science and livestock industry information as well as current issues in animal agriculture, this engaging text covers everything students need to know about livestock and poultry animals for classroom study and beyond. Through updated visual aids, real-world applications, and comprehensive study tools, the Ninth Edition provides students with a solid understand of the anatomy, physiology, nutrition, feeding, and reproduction of multiple livestock and poultry breeds." --Google Books.
For nearly a century, scientific advances have fueled progress in U.S. agriculture to enable American producers to deliver safe and abundant food domestically and provide a trade surplus in bulk and high-value agricultural commodities and foods. Today, the U.S. food and agricultural enterprise faces formidable challenges that will test its long-term sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience. On its current path, future productivity in the U.S. agricultural system is likely to come with trade-offs. The success of agriculture is tied to natural systems, and these systems are showing signs of stress, even more so with the change in climate. More than a third of the food produced is unconsumed, an unacceptable loss of food and nutrients at a time of heightened global food demand. Increased food animal production to meet greater demand will generate more greenhouse gas emissions and excess animal waste. The U.S. food supply is generally secure, but is not immune to the costly and deadly shocks of continuing outbreaks of food-borne illness or to the constant threat of pests and pathogens to crops, livestock, and poultry. U.S. farmers and producers are at the front lines and will need more tools to manage the pressures they face. Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030 identifies innovative, emerging scientific advances for making the U.S. food and agricultural system more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. This report explores the availability of relatively new scientific developments across all disciplines that could accelerate progress toward these goals. It identifies the most promising scientific breakthroughs that could have the greatest positive impact on food and agriculture, and that are possible to achieve in the next decade (by 2030).
Prevention and preparedness are the two basic approaches to maximize food security against any sort of tampering, whether natural, inadvertent or intentional. The NATO funded project “Tools for crop biosecurity” was designed to strengthen the cooperation among U.S., Europe and Israel in the field of crop biosecurity and to generate awareness on how the psychological, economic and cultural consequences of crop bioterrorism, especially attacks on soft targets such as crop seeds, could have a disproportionate adverse effect on Mediterranean agriculture and, more generally, on society. This book illustrates the achievements of the project originated from the workshops organized during the project itself taking in consideration main microbiological threads posed to crops, the tools to recognize and to control them, the needs for international cooperation and research funds to create networks which can face emerging risks for agriculture.
This book is based on EU-funded project PLANTFOODSEC, covering intentional and unintentional threats to plant biosecurity and to food safety areas. Biosecurity is a strategic and integrated approach for analysing and managing relevant risks to human, animal and plant life and health, and associated risks to the environment. Interest in biosecurity has risen considerably over the last decade in parallel with the increasing trade in food and plant and animal products; higher levels of international travel; new outbreaks of transboundary diseases. Although most diseases outbreaks have natural causes or are the result of inadvertent introductions of pathogens through human activities, the risk of a deliberate introduction of a high consequence plant pathogen cannot be excluded. Vigilance is required to identify, prevent and manage new and emerging issues that could impact on production capacity, plant biosecurity or food safety and food chain resilience. /div
