If one were to pose the question: “Is Wisconsin agriculture vulnerable to terrorism?” what do you think the response would be? Before we answer that question, it is necessary to define terrorism. These definitions are taken from Rocco Casagrande, Ph.D., Director, Homeland Security Program, Abt Associates.

1. Agriculture Terrorism – spreading biological or chemical agents amongst crops or livestock to cause economic harm.
2. Food Supply terrorism – tainting food products with chemical or biological agents that can cause human illness to lead to human casualties or economic harm.

In fact, terrorism can be caused by evoking a high level of fear in the general public that the event has happened, when in fact it may not have. (“We’ve poisoned the milk.”)