Food and Agriculture Sector Update

NASDA Food & Agriculture Security Task Force

February 19, 2009 

Homeland Security Agenda

• Create a National Infrastructure Protection Plan: Develop an effective critical infrastructure protection and resiliency plan for the nation and work with the private sector to ensure that targets are protected against all hazards.

• Working with State and Local Governments and the Private Sector: Make the federal government a better partner to states and localities, one that listens to local concerns and considers local priorities. Reach out to the private sector to leverage its expertise and assets to protect our homeland security.

Homeland Security Agenda

• “On her first official day as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Janet Napolitano issued five Action Directives, all centered on one of the primary missions of DHS: Protection.”

• Includes focus on: – Critical Infrastructure Protection– State, local, and tribal integration

Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, &

Protection

• National policy for Federal departments and agencies to identify and prioritize United States critical infrastructure and key resources and to protect them from terrorist attacks.

• Key Activities: – National Infrastructure Protection Plan

– Sector Specific Plans• Federal, State, and industry collaboration

• Strategic planning for the Sector

National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)

• The goal of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) is to help build a safer, more secure and more resilient America.

• The NIPP provides the foundation for implementing a risk-based approach to protecting the Nation’s critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR)

• Each Critical Infrastructure Sector (e.g, Food and Agriculture) had to develop a Sector-Specific Plan (SSP) that describes how the sector (Federal, State, Tribal, local and industry) will protect its infrastructure

• Each Critical Infrastructure Sector must also submit an annual report describing progress in implementing the SSP (due June 1)

• The NIPP is available at: www.dhs.gov/nipp The newly revised version of the NIPP has just been released.

Agriculture & FoodSector Specific Plan (SSP)

• SSP components include:– Identifying Critical Assets or Systems– Assessing Vulnerabilities – Developing Protective Measures– Conducting Research & Development– Measuring Progress

• In 2006, USDA and HHS/FDA collaborated with Sector partners (Federal, State, Tribal, local, and industry) to write the plans for protecting infrastructure in the sector. However, time and resource limitations impacted Sector input.

• In 2008, USDA and FDA developed an SSP update document which outlines changes since the original was released.

SSP Revision Underway• Goal - work with State and industry partners to rewrite the

plan to make the plan more relevant to sector partners by 2010.

• Changes will include:– Moving from two separate plans (USDA and FDA) to

one combined plan for the Sector.– More information on the sector (farm to fork) and its

complexities– Providing lists and locations of (links to) resources

available for CIP (e.g. vulnerability assessment tools, etc.)

• Previous revision effort comments and edits will be incorporated.

Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Councils

Food and Agriculture SCC Sub-Councils

Producers/Plant Sub-Council

Producers/Animal Sub-Council

Processors/Manufacturers Sub-Council

Restaurants/Food Service Sub-Council

Retail Sub-Council

Warehousing and Logistic Sub-Council

Agriculture Production Inputs and Services Sub-Council

Food and Agriculture Government Coordinating Council (GCC)

Food and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council (SCC)

Food and Agriculture GCC

• Department of Agriculture Department of Health and Human Services - Food and

Drug Administration • Department of Homeland Security Department of Defense Environmental Protection Agency Department of Commerce Department of Justice Department of Interior Assoc. of State & Territorial Health Officials Nat’l Assoc. of State Depts of Agriculture National Environmental Health Association National Plant Board Nat’l Assembly of State Chief Livestock Health Officials Assoc. of Food & Drug Officials Nat’l Assoc. of City & County Health Officials Intertribal Agriculture Council American Assoc. of Veterinary Laboratory

Diagnosticians Assoc. of Public Health Laboratories State, Local, Tribal, & Territorial GCC

Sector Tabletop Exercises• 2006 – Raleigh, North Carolina (Operation

Crystal Clear)

• 2006 – conducted in Washington, DC (FMD outbreak)

• 2007 - Harrisburg, PA (animal feed contamination event)

• 2009 - Oklahoma City, OK (feed contamination and FAD, focused on later response and recovery issues)

Food and Agriculture Regional Exercise (FARE) TTX 2009

Objectives: 1. Monitoring and Surveillance. 2. Communications. 3. Biosecurity. 4. Statutory and/or Regulatory Authorities and

Requirements. 5. Public Information/Media Control/Joint

Information Center (JIC). 6. Economic and Commercial Impact.

FARE 2009 TTX

Preliminary Findings• Strengths:

– Interagency Coordination– ICS– Public Information

• Areas for Improvement:– Planning– Disposal– Economic Considerations

2008 Sector Goals• Sector Tabletop Exercise using DHS Homeland Security

Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)• Criticality Tool (FASCAT) Implementation• Sector Communications and HSIN (including a metric to

define success for HSIN)• Revision of the Sector Specific Plan to include, at a

minimum, FASCAT, the Food Protection Plan, and the Import Safety Plan.

• Proposed goals that have been deemed action items:– Increase participation of Sector Members at the state and local

level in Sector activities (e.g. SSP revision, exercise development, etc);

– Review guidance language for allocation of DHS grant funds for Food and Agriculture programs.

2009 Proposed Sector Goals

• Membership: Increase sector membership and encourage more active member participation

• Information Sharing: Create a more effective and efficient information sharing environment

• Exercises: Create a three year exercise schedule, one large multi-agency exercise per year

• Continue 2008 goal activities

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QUESTIONS?

Jessica FantinatoDeputy Director

USDA-Office of Homeland Security202-720-7654

jessica.fantinato@osec.usda.gov