Synopses & Reviews
Agriculture is a key sector for the economy of many countries and it can be potentially exposed to deliberate attacks which can have dramatic economic consequences in the food, feed, and fibre sectors. Intentional introduction of certain microbes may have serious rebounds even on human health when food results contaminated after harvesting of crops and processing of raw materials. Programmes aimed at attacks against agriculture and the agro-food sector through bioweapons were conducted in the past and still in recent years this kind of threads are documented. Prevention and preparedness are the two basic approaches to maximize food security against any sort of tampering, whether natural, inadvertent or intentional. The NATO funded project "Tools for crop biosecurity" was designed to strengthen the cooperation among U.S., Europe and Israel in the field of crop biosecurity and to generate awareness on how the psychological, economic and cultural consequences of crop bioterrorism, especially attacks on soft targets such as crop seeds, could have a disproportionate adverse effect on Mediterranean agriculture and, more generally, on society. This book illustrates the achievements of the project originated from the workshops organized during the project itself taking in consideration main microbiological threads posed to crops, the tools to recognize and to control them, the needs for international cooperation and research funds to create networks which can face emerging risks for agriculture.
Synopsis
The NATO funded project "Tools for crop biosecurity" was planned to strengthen cooperation among U.S., Europe and Israel in the field of crop biosecurity. This book illustrates the project's achievements and the need for international cooperation and research.
Synopsis
Prevention and preparedness are the two basic approaches to maximize food security against any sort of tampering, whether natural, inadvertent or intentional. The NATO funded project "Tools for crop biosecurity" was designed to strengthen the cooperation among U.S., Europe and Israel in the field of crop biosecurity and to generate awareness on how the psychological, economic and cultural consequences of crop bioterrorism, especially attacks on soft targets such as crop seeds, could have a disproportionate adverse effect on Mediterranean agriculture and, more generally, on society. This book illustrates the achievements of the project originated from the workshops organized during the project itself taking in consideration main microbiological threads posed to crops, the tools to recognize and to control them, the needs for international cooperation and research funds to create networks which can face emerging risks for agriculture.
Table of Contents
Preface. List of Contributors. Crop Biosecurity: Definitions and Role in Food Safety and Food Security; M.L. Gullino et al.- Scope of the Project; M.L. Gullino.- Challenges to Crop Biosecurity; J.P. Stack.- High Consequence Plant Pathogens; A. Gamliel.- Crop Biosecurity: Local, National, Regional and Global Perspectives; A.Gamliel et al.- The Need for Diagnostic Tools and Infrastructure; F. Tinivella et al.- Crop Biosecurity: Containment and Eradication of Invasive Pathogens; A.Gamliel, J. Fletcher.- The Need of Forensic Tools in a Balanced National Agricultural Security Program; J. Fletcher.- The Need for Secure Communications Networks and Global Connectivity; J.P. Stack, W. Baldwin.- The Case for International Cooperation as a Strategy to achieve Crop Biosecurity; J. Fletcher.- Crop and Food Biosecurity Research: Luxury or Need? M.L. Gullino et al.- Evaluation of Critical Issues and Identification of Research and Investment Needs in the Field of Crop Biosecurity; M.L. Gullino et al.- European Commission's Green Paper on Biopreparedness; I. Bénoliel.- Appendix. Index.