WASHINGTON, DC –U.S. Senator Roberts, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today underscored the importance of protecting the nation’s plant and animal health at a speech addressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 1st International Biosafety and Biocontainment Symposium. Senator Roberts said he would be introducing a Senate Resolution to recognize the importance of biosecurity and agrodefense in the United States.

The following are excerpts from Senator Roberts remarks:

“This is on of the first opportunities I have had to visit with anyone officially within our agriculture family since being selected Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.

“That is how important confronting the challenges and risks associated with plant and animal production and protection is to me.

“Many of you are confronted with pathogens, viruses, anti-bodies and other lethal pathways that if put in the wrong hands could do considerable harm to our nation’s economy and rural America’s way of life.

“In Kansas, cattle outnumber people 2-to-1. One in five Kansans – urban and rural – work in jobs related to agriculture and food production.

“From a much broader perspective, by 2050 global agriculture production must double to meet the nutrition demands of our growing population.

“With your hard work Americans can continue to meet world demand while providing job opportunities and economic benefits domestically.

“Your research is making a significant difference for our agriculture community and economy, protecting it from harm be it naturally occurring or an intentional act of terrorism.

“As terrorism continues to plague the nation and the world, terrorists plan ways to cripple the American economy. As THE food market, an attack on American agriculture is an attack on the world. This threat deserves no less attention than that of nuclear or chemical warfare.

“As a Kansan and as a Member of Congress long involved in agriculture and intelligence issues, that this threat is indeed real and important.

“In numerous hearings on terrorism, we repeatedly asked top scientists and biowarfare experts to assess the greatest threats to our nation.

“One of their repeated greatest concerns was the susceptibility of U.S. agriculture and the impact an attack on it could have on the agriculture economy and the nation’s food supply.

“But it was not until the attacks of September 11, as the nation increased security on its borders, buildings, and markets that the stragglers began to understand, our agriculture economy and sector should receive no less attention in regards to safety and security.

“In 2002, President Bush signed into law the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act.

“The legislation included a provision I had authored to provide grant funding for centers focused on biosecurity. This funding was an important first step in moving the nation forward on agroterrorism research and protection.

“I will not give up on ensuring biosecurity advancements happen in this country.

“Protecting our food supply and our place as the world’s leader in science and technology hinges on continuing projects such as NBAF, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

“Right now, we are still in the design phase on the NBAF. But, as we have witnessed on projects before this one, this is a marathon effort.

“It may still be years away from opening its doors, but we will have a state of the art facility here in the United States which will allow our animal health and agro-biologists the opportunity to work on the world’s most dangerous diseases and pathogens.

“Let me say to any worried about conducting this research in the U.S.: The diseases are dangerous. The labs are not. We must build and work in safe laboratories to ensure dangerous diseases do not harm our nation.

“Without a safe and secure facility, we leave our livestock and our agriculture at great risk. This is a risk I am unwilling to take. We must protect our nation and its people, economy, and food supply. Only by building an NBAF can we adequately do this.

“Emergency management will be necessary on the back end. But it is up to you, the scientists, to ensure we are prepared on the front end.

“A commitment to robust research and advancement in science on zoonotics, emerging pathogens, and crop diseases is imperative to our nation’s security.”

Senator Roberts is Honorary Chairman of the Kansas NBAF Task Force. He is an outspoken advocate on the need to improve America’s biosecurity.

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