By Sharon Omahen

University of Georgia

Along the Gulf Coast, the nation has seen firsthand how a natural
disaster can quickly destroy food supplies. In Georgia, farm and
university experts are teaching emergency workers and people in
agriculture how to identify and handle threats to the food
production.

“Our food supply … needs to be protected,” said Dana Lynch, a
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension nutrition specialist.
“Our nation is the largest exporter of food products. And about
17 percent of all the jobs in the U.S. are linked to the food
industry.”

Ag – big contributor to state’s economy

In Georgia alone, two-thirds of the state’s counties report
agriculture as the largest or second largest sector of the
economy, Lynch said.

Threats to food production can come from terrorists, natural
disasters and accidental and intentional diseases, Lynch said
during a recent training for 60 emergency workers from five
middle Georgia counties.

Trainings like this are being taught statewide by experts from
the Georgia Department of Agriculture and UGA College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. More than 3,000
emergency first responders should be trained by the year’s end.

“Ag workers and traditional responders need to be ready to
rapidly and effectively resolve an emergency situation before
catastrophic consequences occur,” Lynch said.

In addition to the loss of crops and herds, an agricultural
disaster can also affect a producer’s mental state. Emergency
personnel must also be prepared to deal with these issues as
well, she said.

In agricultural emergencies, improper disposal of diseased animal
carcasses can have environmental and economic consequences, Lynch
said. If a poultry disease strikes in Georgia, the entire nation
would be affected.

Plants, animals must be protected

“Georgia produces 24.6 million pounds of chicken meat in one
day,” said John Pope, UGA Extension agent for Monroe County. “If
diseases like avian influenza and Exotic Newcastle strike the
poultry industry, they would have a serious negative impact.”

Plant diseases are a threat, too. UGA plant pathologist Mila
Pearce says most people don’t realize that ornamental plant
diseases can also affect production.

“You may say, ‘Who cares about what’s killing Ms. Johnson’s
geraniums?’ ” Pearce said. “Geraniums and potatoes are from the
same family, and you probably do care about french fries and
mashed potatoes.”

Pesticide costs and yield losses from plant diseases cost the
U.S. $20 billion a year, Pearce said.

“We fight a constant battle against diseases every day,” she
said. “Never mind what some terrorist has up his sleeve.”

Pearce does have good news. Intentional introduction of a plant
disease is a “very, very difficult” task.

“Introducing a plant disease into our food production would not
be a very good tactic for a terrorist,” she said. “It’s virtually
impossible to do. Spreading disease is an abominable task. It’s
very hard for even us to do in our research labs.”

Preparing Georgia

As officials in Mississippi and Louisiana now know firsthand, an
action plan is needed to make sure food is available during a
disaster.

“We typically have about a seven-day food supply in our grocery
stores,” said Wade Hutcheson, a UGA Extension agent in Spalding
County. “That’s not including the items that are supplied daily
like milk and bread. When there’s snow or a hurricane headed our
way, those items just fly off the shelves.”

Hutcheson said the main goals of the agrosecurity trainings are
to educate responders on possible threats and to encourage
communities to prepare disaster plans.

“Georgia’s farmers and farm workers must be aware of the damage
foreign plant diseases and pests can do to their crops,” he said.
“A safe, secure and inexpensive food supply is the foundation of
our society. An increased awareness of crop biosecurity could
keep Georgia’s food secure in the short and long term.”