House Homeland Security Subcommittee Warns of Growing Agroterrorism Risks, Calls for More Funding and Diagnostics

House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management Technology members heard expert testimony Wednesday warning that U.S. food and agriculture face growing vulnerabilities to deliberate biological and cyber attacks, and that gaps in funding, diagnostics and coordination leave the country more exposed.

The hearing opened with Subcommittee Chairman Strong saying the purpose was to "assess the threat of agroterrorism to the United States food and agriculture sector and examine how federal efforts to prevent, respond to, and recover from such attacks can be strengthened." Ranking Member Kennedy and several witnesses highlighted recent funding pauses and proposed federal cuts that they said could weaken surveillance and response capacity.

The hearing drew four witnesses with academic and biodefense expertise: Dr. Daniel K. Williams, president of Alabama A&M University; Dr. Christopher A. Young, professor of practice at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Marty Bernin, director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at Kansas State University; and Dr. Asha George, executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense.

"Farm security is national security," Dr. Williams said, summarizing the testimony of land-grant university officials who described research, extension and diagnostic roles in detecting and…