By Brad Haire
University of Georgia
University of Georgia Extension Service county agents met in
Tifton, Ga., March 7-8 to learn how to teach farmers, emergency
workers, veterinarians and others how to respond to an incident
that might jeopardize Georgia’s food supply or farm economy.
Georgia Agroterrorism Committee members trained the county
agents. With the training, agents will start this summer setting
up a network of people to become the eyes and ears for the state
in the case of an accident or attack, said Don Hamilton, UGA
Extension Service homeland security coordinator.
“Once people complete the training,” Hamilton said, “they’ll
have a much better idea of what an agrosecurity incident looks
like and what to do if it occurs.”
About 125 from south Georgia took part in the training. Another
train-the-trainer session is set for county agents in north
Georgia later this month.
Georgia is the first state to develop and offer an agrosecurity
training program, said Lee Myers, assistant commissioner for the
Georgia Department of Agriculture and chair of the agroterrorism
committee. It could be used as a model for other states.
The committee plans to have 3,500 people trained statewide by
the end of the year.
Most people aren’t aware how vulnerable the food supply is to
agroterrorism, Myers said. Agroterrorism is defined as any
intentional use of chemical, biological or radiological agents
or explosives to destroy crops or livestock or disrupt food
distribution.
“Most cities have less than a seven-day food supply,” Myers
said.
People who take the training can also help the state respond to
natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods, said Corrie
Brown, a professor with the UGA College of Veterinary
Medicine.
“Mother Nature may be the ultimate terrorist,” she said.
The program will also teach people how important the
agricultural industry is to the state’s economy, said
Hamilton.
Georgia’s food and fiber industry directly accounts for about
$29.5 billion of the state’s $544 billion economy and 17 percent
of its total manufacturing output, according to John McKissick,
coordinator for the UGA’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic
Development.
The program will be an opportunity for certified personnel, such
as emergency workers and veterinarians, to get free training
hours to maintain their certifications, too.
Having trained workers would also help small communities become
eligible for grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, said Phil Williams with the Georgia Emergency
Management Agency.
