Agricultural Biosecurity
Overview
The September 11, 2001, attacks and the discovery of a cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) exposed potential vulnerabilities in the United States’ agriculture and food sectors to dangerous pathogens and agents. To address this threat, the federal government and state governments have bolstered current food safety and security regimes by creating new regulatory authority. The resulting system involves the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) working together to ensure the security of US food and agriculture. Read the full overview.
Note: Recently added resources are posted at the top of the applicable sections.
Major Statutes
FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.)
Bioterrorism Act (Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002) (codified throughout Titles 7, 21, 29, and 42)
Codified sections focusing on Agriculture and Food Security:
Regulation of Certain Biological Agents and Toxins, 7 U.S.C. § 8401
Registration of Food Facilities, 21 U.S.C. § 350d
Maintenance and Inspection of Records, 21 U.S.C. § 350c
Virus-Serum-Toxins, Antitoxins, and Analogous Products, 21 U.S.C. §§ 151-159
Homeland Security Organization, 6 U.S.C. §§ 101-681g
Animal Health Protection Act, 7 U.S.C. §§ 8301-8322
Force, Violence, and Threats Involving Animal Enterprises, 18 U.S.C. § 43
Regulations
Prior Notice of Imported Food, 21 C.F.R. §§ 1.276 – 1.285
Bioterrorism Act, FDA Food Safety Regulations, 21 C.F.R. Parts 1, 20
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, (Animals and Animal Products) 9 C.F.R. Parts 1-199
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, (Plants) 7 C.F.R. Parts 300-399
Department of Homeland Security, 6 C.F.R. Parts 1-99
Possession, Use, and Transfer of Biological Agents and Toxins, 7 C.F.R. Part 331
Federal Register Rules Open for Comment
Amendments to the Select Agent and Toxin Regulations (9 CFR 121)
Case Law
Case Law Index for Biosecurity
Center Research Publications
States’ “Fence Law” Statutes (R. Rumley)
Role of Regulation in Minimizing Terrorist Threats Against the Food Supply: Information, Incentives, and Penalties (Roberts, 2007)
Ag & Food Law Update blog topics:
Congressional Research Service Reports
Reports– published and made available by CRS beginning in 2017
Subjects- published by CRS and made available by NALC until 2018:
Animal Agriculture
Security and Defense
Reference Resources
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Emergency Management, Safety, and Security Division
Defend the Flock
Biosecurity on U.S. Sheep Operations
Biosecurity and Health Management on U.S. Swine Operations
Biosecurity on Dairies
Livestock and Poultry Disease
Crop Biosecurity and Emergency Management
Agricultural Federal Select Agent Program
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Food Safety Modernization Act
Biosafety and Biosecurity Framework (2017)
Bioterrorism Act of 2002
Food Defense and Emergency Response
Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Counterterrorism
Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats
National Agricultural Library (NAL)
Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC)
Law Enforcement and Crime
Congressional Resources
Homeland Security Hearing, July 17, 2002 (U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee)
Agroterrorism Hearing, Nov. 19, 2003 (U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Comm.)
Reports on Bioterrorism (Government Accountability Office)
Agroterrorism Hearing, Nov. 19, 2003 (U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Comm.)
Other Federal Resources
Fact Sheet: Biosafety and Biosecurity in the United States (NIH)
Biosafety and Security in the United States (DHS)
Presidential Directive on Defense of United States Agriculture and Food (Feb. 3, 2004)
The National Strategy for The Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets
Presidential Directive on Defense of United States Agriculture and Food (Feb. 3, 2004)
National Strategy for Homeland Security, Protecting Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets (The White House)
Bioterrorism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Homeland Security (EPA)
Pandemic Influenza (Dept. of State)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Bioterrorism (Customs and Border Protection)
Homeland Security Measures for Agriculture (EPA, Nat’l Agricultural Compliance Assistance Center)
Avian Influenza (Cntrs. for Disease Control & Prevention)
Agricultural Biosecurity Taking on Increased Importance (Dept. of Energy)
Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: Biodefense and Bioterrorism (National Institute of Health)
Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Coordination (USDA)
H5N1 Influenza (USDA)
Avian Influenza Factsheet (2015)
Animal & Plant Biosecurity (National Institute of Food and Agriculture)
Food Defense & Emergency Preparedness (FSIS – Food Safety & Inspection Service)
Guide for Security Practices in Transporting Agricultural and Food Commodities (FSIS, 2004)
Criminal Investigation Handbook for Agroterrorism (2008)
FDA Strategic Partnership Program Agroterrorism (SPPA) Initiative (Food and Drug Administration)
OSHA Guide to Bioterrorism (OSHA)
National Farm Security Action Plan (USDA)
Publications
Agriculture Biosecurity Risks: State Perspectives (NCSL, 2025)
From Farms to Frontlines: The Transformation of Biosecurity Policy in the United States (Duerr, 2024)
Agro-Terrorism: A New Peril towards Global Food Security (Bhattacharjee et al. 2020, Biotica Research Today)
Effect of welfare standards and biosecurity practices on antimicrobial use in beef cattle (Diana, A., Lorenzi, V., Penasa, M. et al., NLM, 2020)
Fields of Danger: The Looming Threat of Agroterrorism on the United States’ Agriculture (Journal of Biosecurity, Biosafety, and Biodefense Law, 2019)
US-India Strategic Dialogue on Biosecurity (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2018)
Agroterrorism in the US: An Overview (University of Florida, 2015)
Plant Biosecurity in the United States: Roles, Responsibilities, and Information Needs (Magarey, Colunga-Garcia & Fieselmann, Nov. 2009)
Agricultural Biosecurity (The Royal Society, 2007)
Guide for Security Practices in Transporting Agricultural and Food Commodities (USDA, 2004)
Agroterrorism in the U.S.: Key Security Challenge for the 21st Century (Cupp et al., Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, 2004)
Hitting America’s Soft Underbelly: The Potential Threat of Deliberate Biological Attacks Against the U.S. Agricultural and Food Industry (Chalk, Rand, 2004)
The Bio-Terrorist Threat to Agricultural Livestock and Produce (Chalk, Rand, 2003)
Agroterrorism: What Is the Threat and What Can Be Done About It? (Rand, 2003)
Countering Bioterrorism: The Role of Science and Technology (National Academies Press, 2002)
Terrorist Threats to Food: Guidance for Establishing and Strengthening Prevention and Response Systems (WHO, 2002)
Crop Biosecurity and Countering Agricultural Bioterrorism: Responses of the American Phytophatological Society (Oct. 2002)
Terrorism, Infrastructure Protection and the U.S. Food and Agricultural Sector (Chalk, Rand, 2001)
The US Agricultural Sector: A New Target for Terrorism? (Chalk, Rand, 2001)
Additional Resources
Biosecurity Guide for Pork Producers (NC State University Extension, 2022)
Disease Prevention Guide for Backyard Bird Owners (California Department of Food and Agriculture, 2021)
Developing Biosecurity Practices for Feed & Ingredient Manufacturing (American Feed Industry Association, Jan. 2019)
Practical Biosecurity Measures for Animal Sanctuaries (The Open Sanctuary Project, 2018)
Committee on Animal Emergency Management Reports (2016, 2017) (U.S. Animal Health Association)
Best Biosecurity Practices in Poultry, Foreign Animal, and Zoonotic Diseases (National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense, 2012)
Good Practices for Biosecurity in the Pig Sector (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, 2010)
Poultry Game Bird and Hatchery Sanitation and Security (Utah State Extension, 2010)
Agrosecurity – Protecting America’s Food Supply (eXtension, 2008)
Handling Foreign Animal Diseases in Cattle (2005)
Biosecurity for Prevention of Foreign Animal Disease (NCSU Veterinary School, 2005)
Agricultural Security Information Resource (Humanitarian Resources Institute, 2003)
Biosecurity on Dairies (2001)
Biosecurity of Dairy Farm Feedstuffs (APHIS, 2001)
An Introduction to Infectious Disease Control on Farms (Biosecurity, 2001)
Agricultural and Food Security (USAID)
Animal Disease Biosecurity Coordinated Agriculture Project
The Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP)
Biosecurity in Agriculture and Food Production (FAO)
Biosecurity for Cattle Operations (University of Minnesota Extension)
Biosecurity for Sheep and Goat Producers (APHIS)
Disease Prevention for Livestock and Poultry Keepers (United Kingdom Government)
Manure Management for Biosecurity (University of Nebraska- Lincoln)
National Agricultural Biosecurity Center (KS St. U.)
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (U. MD)
Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation
Targets for Terrorism: Food and Agriculture (Council on Foreign Relations)
Understanding Agricultural Biosecurity: Legal Definitions and Implications (US Legal Forms)