State Roles and Responsibilities

The Administration has emphasized that states play a key role in homeland security and provide the first line of defense in protecting critical infrastructure, health, and safety. Protecting the nation’s food and agriculture industry demands the coordinated effort of public, private and university partners in the same way that all of these stakeholders have cooperated for decades on issues of food safety, animal health and plant protection.  In the area of food safety, for example, the statistics are surprising: while this is the shared responsibility of all partners, an estimated 80% of all food safety inspections are conducted by state and local agencies. 

While these existing programs should serve as a basis for efforts needed to enhance security, there are limitations and gaps.  Notably, current systems were developed primarily to prevent the accidental introduction of pathogens, pests and diseases and the assistance of public security partners is not fully developed. 

Accordingly, the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder must be more carefully defined, understood, and supported.  NASDA calls on each of these partners to collaborate to establish clear roles under the general policy that:

Federal partners are best positioned to guide the risk assessment and policy-setting processes; address oversight and control of imported food and agricultural products; provide guidance and training to state and local partners; foster appropriate regionalization of security activities, and supply resources to ensure the uniform application of laws and regulations to counter the emerging security threats.

States and localities can provide the field inspection forces needed to promote biosecurity of food and agriculture businesses; enhance prevention by enforcing uniform food and agriculture safety and security laws with industry; provide routine surveillance of food, plant and animal products; respond quickly in the event of an attack; and provide the means to restore confidence in the food and agriculture sector. States play the key role in prevention, detection and eradication of plant and animal pests and diseases.

Private sector food and agriculture businesses must be a full and active partners in the process to develop a national integrated security and emergency management capability.
Universities should be provided resources to support research, education and training to enhance preparedness and response.

An emerging area of concern is the increased complexity of federal responsibility for preventing, detecting and responding to emergencies.  The new Department of Homeland Security has important new mandates and has been charged with overseeing the response to any event deemed to be the act of terrorism.  In this context, the agency has taken over responsibility for administering port and border security activities, and certain staff and responsibilities from USDA have been transferred to DHS. 

NASDA remains concerned that the emphasis on homeland security in border protection not overshadow the need to remain vigilant in protecting the food and agriculture industry from the introduction of pests and disease at the border.  NASDA strongly believes that prevention of animal and plant bioterrorism and provision of security for the nation’s food supply must be considered a critical priority of the new agency. NASDA urges the DHS to reconsider the de-emphasis of agriculture inspections at medium and large ports of entry and the elimination of agriculture inspections at small ports of entry. NASDA requests that legacy agriculture inspectors, with the proven education, skills and experience in cargo and baggage agriculture inspection, be immediately reassigned as CBP Agriculture Specialists and that the CBP Officer positions be open to all legacy customs, immigration and agriculture inspectors.